Golden Eyes
by Elfprinzess
Summary: Colin Morgan is a druid boy meant to help Harry succeed in killing Voldemort. All because the boy is Merlin's reincarnation. But where there is a Merlin, there must be an Arthur, so where is he? Who is he? And can Colin actually help with all his magical abilities? Or is Voldemort just too strong? Spoilers for the final three books. Please read and review :D
1. Chapter 1

**Hey there! This is an AU story, involving a crossover between Harry Potter and the BBC TV show Merlin. In this story, it is set during the fifth Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and follows the general plot, but not really...if that makes sense :) For Merlin, you don't need to have watched any episodes or anything like that, nor is it set during a particular series or episode. I have merely used some of the characters from the tv show, and those characters are based off of the Legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. You really only need to know the general idea of the legend, and know that the characters I've used are based off of the personality and appearance of the TV show, but that is all. **

**Now, after all that long-winded explanation, onto the story. I don't own anything, as Harry Potter and all the associated characters and plots belong to JK Rowling, and Merlin belongs to BBC and the tv show people.**

**Spoilers for Harry Potter, not for Merlin, not yet at least. **

**Enjoy :) And please review! Let me know your thoughts, good and bad.**

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**Updated* **

**Anon: First off, thank you for pushing past this chapter and reading the rest, I am happy you found it enjoyable still, and am appreciative for your review, letting me know about the problems with this chapter. I've changed this chapter, and realized your idea of hinting at it vaguely, then actually describing what is going to happen later on is a much better way, so hopefully this has improved, and you like it a lot better now. I only changed it a little, so if you still feel as if something is wrong with it, feel free to let me know, and I'll try to work out the problems with it again :) Thank you for being honest**

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**Chapter 1**

"Mum, I don't want to go. You'll be here unprotected. If I have to go, then come with me. Professor Dumbledore will look after you."

"You know as well as I that couldn't do that. You need to go to the school and you need to help them stop Voldemort."

"I know, but it does not mean you have to stay here unprotected."

"I will not be unprotected, everyone in the village will look out for each other. I will be fine, my son."

"And if you're not?"

"I will be."

Colin Morgan sighed and rubbed his eyes, slumping back in his chair at the table in the small kitchen. His mother was cooking dinner, his last home dinner for a while, and they were spending their last night together, as the next morning was Colin's first day at Hogwarts, and a man sent by Dumbledore was picking him up early morning.

His mother, Hunith, had soft blue eyes that were full of love and light, and her hair was a light brown colour, with wispy strands pulled back into a rough bun. Her face was wrinkled from laughter and sun, and her skin a tan colour.

Her son sitting near her had the same eyes, but other than that, he was completely different. His skin was a pale white that either burnt or refused to tan. His hair was black, messy and cropped short to avoid him having to tame it. His short hair failed to hide his ears that stuck out from either side of his head, much too large to look proportional, but he had hopes he would grow into them. His eyes were blue, like his mother's, but much brighter and sharper, capable of appearing bright with happiness, or sharp with wariness. He had hit his growth spurt last summer, and was now in a body that was much longer and lankier than he was used to, resulting in clumsy actions and accidents around him all the time. His arms and legs were long, lanky and bony, and looked far too awkward for his body, but he had yet to grow into them.

He did not want to leave his home to go to Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, especially because he did not need to learn anything the school could teach, he already knew. He did need to go though, to help protect Harry Potter, the-boy-who-lived and the boy destined to kill Voldemort, to gain the boy's trust and to do all he could to right the imbalance in the world caused by Voldemort cheating death 15 years ago, and then the further shift created when the Dark Lord resurrected himself at the end of last year.

"Let's drop this now. Go finish packing all your things, I know of a few books we bought the other day that are still in the lounge room. We'll have dinner and enjoy our last night." Hunith told her son.

Colin stood and moved to do so, rolling his eyes and sighing heavily in mock-annoyance. "Fine."

* * *

The next morning Colin was up and ready to go, several minutes before the man, Sturgis Podmore, turned up.

"You've got everything?" Hunith asked, glancing at the school trunk as if considering opening it and unpacking it to check everything was there.

"Yes mum."

"Underwear?"

"Yes."

"Books?"

"Yes."

"Wand?"

"Yes."

"All in your trunk?"

"Yes."

Hunith sighed and smacked the back of Colin's head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Colin demanded, rubbing the spot that was now stinging slightly.

"It wasn't that hard, and your wand should be on you, not in your bag."

Colin sighed and stood, moving to his trunk. As he was rummaging through to find his wand, there was a knock, and Hunith answered it. "Hello?"

"Mrs Morgan? I'm Sturgis Podmore, Dumbledore's man." The man smiled politely at the woman, who smiled back.

"Please, call me Hunith. My son's just grabbing his stuff now."

Colin stepped up to the door, dragging his trunk behind him and the carrier for his cat tucked under his arm. "Hey." Colin grinned, "Good to see you again." Podmore had been the man who had picked Colin up to take him to Diagon Alley to get his school supplies.

"You ready to go?"

"Just let me say goodbye." Colin handed his trunk and carrier over, and Podmore placed them on a trolley as Colin turned to his mother and hugged her.

"Goodbye Colin." Hunith whispered.

"Bye Mum, I love you. If you need my help, I'll come straight away, remember that."

"I know, but I will be fine, I love you too. I know you'll complete your destiny." Hunith whispered into his ear. They pulled away, and she kissed his forehead, even though she had to pull him down to her level to do so.

"Goodbye." Colin kissed her cheek one last time and gripped Podmore's arm, as the man disapparated, taking the boy with him.

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Colin blinked as the world righted itself, and he was in a secluded corner at King's Cross Station.

"Come on kid, we'll find the Weasley family, they'll be here soon and can look after you." Podmore gestured for Colin to push the luggage trolley, and lead the way through the crowds to platforms 9 and 10.

"Are we going through the archway?" Colin asked.

Podmore blinked, surprised. "I thought you hadn't been here before?"

Colin shrugged and grinned, "Lucky guess?"

Podmore rolled his eyes and frowned slightly in confusion but shook it off, unsure of how the kid knew about the barrier, but accepting it. "Yep, don't slow down or stop, I'll help you through."

They pushed through the barrier easily, and Colin stared around at the black train, rushing students, mess of luggage and pets and teary parents waving goodbye. Steam was rising from the train, and there was a lot of noise, the whistling, the shouting and the slamming of doors and windows. It was hectic and noisy and confusing, but brilliant at the same time.

"Come on, there's Molly." Podmore lead the way through the crowds to where a red-haired, plump woman stood with an elderly lady who was wearing a weirdly shaped hat and a teenage boy with messy black hair, glasses and dressed comfortably in muggle clothing.

"Molly!"

The three turned towards them as they approached. "Sturgis! You leaving like that really threw Alastor, I'd be prepared for a yelling if I were you." The red-haired woman, Molly Weasley, warned.

"I had no choice, Dumbledore asked me to pick up the boy and bring him to the train." Sturgis shrugged.

Colin watched in amusement as the elderly lady opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Mrs Weasley. "Oh good, here's Alastor with the luggage, look…"

Colin turned to watch as a man limped through the barrier with a porter's hat over his eyes, pushing a trolley loaded with several trunks. "All okay," he muttered to the adults, "Don't think we were followed…"

Seconds later, Colin watched as a red-haired man emerged with a teenage red-haired boy (obviously his son) and a curly, brown-haired teenage girl. Moments after that, another three red-haired teenages, one girl and a pair of twin boys appeared through the barrier, with a slightly short man, who had light brown, close cropped hair.

"No trouble?" growled the man dressed as a porter.

"Nothing," said the man that came through with three red-haired kids.

"Good. Sturgis, any trouble?" Moody turned to the man. Colin watched as they all practically ignored his presence. He mentally shrugged and watched on in amusement.

"No sir, picked the boy up and came here with plenty of time. No one followed and no one thought anything suspicious." Podmore reported.

"Good."

Podmore nodded once to Moody as a goodbye, then turned back to Colin, "Come on, I'll help you get your stuff on the train." Colin turned obediently, even as all the other kids watched him curiously, and pushed his trolley to the carriage door. He managed to lift the trunk up with Podmore's help, and then accepted the carrier that had his cat in it with a thanks.

"Watch yourself, keep your head up and you'll be fine. Moody, the porter, has told the other kids to look out for you, so stick by them, at least until you make some friends, they won't just ditch you to be on your own." Podmore told him. "Wait here for them, they'll be on the train in a few moments and you can sit with them."

"Right, thank you." Colin nodded.

Podmore moved to leave. "Hold on, can I ask a favour?" Colin spoke up.

"Yeah, sure, if I can do it. What's wrong?"

"If you get time, could you check in on my mum every so often?" Colin asked, "Or send someone you trust? When I was there we were safer with the two of us looking out for each other, but with her there by herself, I'm a little worried, especially because it's not particularly safe anymore, is it?"

"I'll check every couple of days, at the least, once a week, or send someone I trust." Podmore promised. "I'll send an owl to the school if something is wrong."

"Thank you." Colin grinned at the man.

"No problem, good luck with the new school and all that."

"Thanks."

Colin watched as the man disappeared into the crowds, and waited awkwardly for the Weasley kids to get on the train. He shifted down the corridor a bit, to get out of the way of the door, and he watched as all four redheads, the curly brown haired girl and the black-haired boy climb onto the train where he had with their luggage, and turn to wave goodbye. He tried not to eavesdrop as they spoke and went their separate ways. The twins left to the right, while the remaining four talked for a bit. The red-haired boy and curly-haired girl then left the other two behind. The remaining two turned to walk down the corridor and caught sight of him.

"Hey," the black-haired boy called out. Now that they were closer, Colin to make out the scar on his forehead, set above the bright green eyes and underneath the black fringe. This was Harry Potter. The-boy-who-lived. "I'm Harry, Harry Potter." Harry introduced.

Colin grinned at that, "Harry Potter, I think I've heard that name somewhere, but can't seem to remember. You must've been in the news once or twice." He hoped the grin on his face showed he meant no insult with his sarcasm, and it worked, as Harry laughed at his words and grinned back.

"Yeah, I was in a minor article or two. Anyway, this is Ginny Weasley."

"Pleasure to meet you both, I'm Colin Morgan." Colin nodded to the girl, Ginny. "Would you mind terribly if I sat with you? I don't really know anyone else, and it's a little intimidating." Colin asked, shifting the carrier under his arm a little more securely and getting a good grip on his trunk.

"That's fine, we were just going to find a carriage now." Ginny smiled warmly at him.

They struggled down the corridor as a group, peering through the glass-panelled doors into compartments as they passed, which were already full. Colin noticed that a lot of people stared back at Harry as they peered in, and without fail, the people would nudge their friends and point him out, obviously talking about him. Colin realised that they would've all read the Daily Prophet, and were told by the newspaper that Harry Potter was a lying show-off. He frowned at the obliviousness of people, but didn't say a word, struggling down the corridor behind the other two teens.

In the very last carriage, another teenage boy, who Harry and Ginny seemed to know was pulling his trunk along with him, holding a toad in his hand. "Hi, Harry... Hi Ginny... everywhere's full... I can't find a seat..." he panted, grinning at them in greeting. He smiled politely and curiously at Colin, but didn't say anything just yet.

" "What are you talking about?" Ginny asked, peering into the compartment behind the boy. "There's room in this one, there's only Loony Lovegood in here —"

Colin heard the boy mumble something about not wanting to disturb anyone.

Ginny laughed, "Don't be silly, she's all right."

She slid the door open and pulled her trunk inside. Harry and Neville followed her, with Colin hovering at the door behind them, feeling rather awkward.

"Hi, Luna," said Ginny, "is it okay if we take these seats?"

The girl beside the window looked up. She had straggly, waist-length, dirty blonde hair, very pale eyebrows and protuberant eyes that gave her a permanently surprised look. Colin could tell at once that the girl gave off an aura of distinct dottiness, which put off the other two boys, but to him, it was the same feel as the Seers back at home. He did suppose she was eccentric, due to her upside-down magazine, cork necklace and how she kept her wand behind her ear, but he also knew that while the others would be uncomfortable with her, he would love her company. Colin watched as her eyes flickered over the other teenage boy, himself and then resting on Harry, before she nodded once.

"Thanks," said Ginny, smiling at her.

Harry and Colin stowed the four trunks and Hedwig's cage in the luggage rack and sat down. Colin made sure to keep his carrier, and placed it on the seat next to him, by the door. He didn't want his cat to wake up and not be able to be let out straight away, resulting in one grumpy cat and numerous shredded clothing. Luna watched them over her upside-down magazine, which was called The Quibbler. She did not seem to need to blink as much as normal humans. She stared and stared at Harry, who had taken the seat opposite her and Colin could tell he now wished he hadn't.

"Had a good summer, Luna?" Ginny asked.

"Yes," said Luna dreamily, without taking her eyes off Harry. "Yes, it was quite enjoyable, you know. You're Harry Potter," she added.

"I know I am," said Harry.

Colin grinned, and the other boy, the one with the toad, chuckled. Luna turned her pale eyes on him instead.

"And I don't know who you are."

"I'm nobody," said the boy hurriedly.

"No you're not," said Ginny sharply. "Neville Longbottom - Luna Lovegood. Luna's in my year, but in Ravenclaw."

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure," said Luna in a singsong voice. She turned to look at Colin and tilted her head at him. "You're a druid." She announced.

Colin grinned, "You're a Seer. Want to swap?"

To everyone's surprise, Luna smiled and let out a giggle. "I'm not a Seer, my grand—aunt was though."

"Maybe you have some of her talent then. I'm Colin Morgan."

"Do you have your druidic name yet?" Luna asked.

Colin shook his head, "Nah, I've got to go through the Aging Ceremony first, and my mum wanted me to come here for a couple of years first."

She nodded and then raised her upside-down magazine high enough to hide her face and fell silent. Harry and Neville looked at each other with their eyebrows raised. Ginny suppressed a giggle.

"What's a druid?" Neville asked Colin.

"We're a magical community, not well known and not many of us are left, but we don't practice the same magic as you all. We're more old-fashioned, I suppose you could say. I've been homeschooled until now, and my mum felt that if I was going to grow up and live in the world, then I need to know more than our house and village. So she wrote a letter to Professor Dumbledore, who said I could come to Hogwarts from now until I come of age." Colin explained.

"Druids? I've heard of them, but I'm not sure how much was true and how much was rumour." Ginny commented.

"A lot was probably rumour. Most people assume we're primitive and dance around a fire at night in the middle of the forest, chanting and singing without reason and not actually able to do proper magic, since we don't use wands." Colin shrugged. "Actually, I'd prefer if you didn't let people know I'm a druid, majority of the population look down at us."

"Of course we won't say a word." Ginny assured him.

The train rattled onwards, speeding them out into open country. It was an odd, unsettled sort of day; one moment the carriage was full of sunlight and the next they were passing beneath ominously grey clouds.

"Guess what I got for my birthday?" said Neville.

"Another Remembrall?" said Harry, causing Colin to wonder what a Remembrall was, and whether it had something to do with remembering things.

"No," said Neville. "I could do with one, though, I lost the old one ages ago… no, look at this…" He dug the hand that was not keeping a firm grip on Trevor into his schoolbag and after a little bit of rummaging pulled out what appeared to be a small grey cactus in a pot, except that it was covered with what looked like boils rather than spines. "Mimbulus mimbletonia," he said proudly.

Colin stared at the plant, before smiling, surprised the boy had one. He knew of its properties and rarity, and knew that if the boy was so proud of it, he knew a lot about plant life and would get along with Colin wonderfully.

"It's really, really rare," said Neville, beaming. "I don't know if there's one in the greenhouse at Hogwarts, even. I can't wait to show it to Professor Sprout. My Great Uncle Algie got it for me in Assyria. I'm going to see if I can breed from it."

"Have you figured out the different methods of handling it, to produce different things?" Colin asked eagerly, wondering how much the boy knew.

"Not everything, not yet at least. But it's defence mechanism is brilliant. Here," Neville grinned, "Hold Trevor for me." Neville passed the toad to Colin. Neville then took a quill from his schoolbag. Luna Lovegood's popping eyes appeared over the top of her upside-down magazine again, to watch what Neville was doing. Neville held the Mimbulus mimbletonia up t o his eyes, his tongue between his teeth, chose his spot, and gave the plant a sharp prod with the tip of his quill. Liquid squirted from every boil on the plant; thick, stinking, dark green jets of it. They hit the ceiling, the windows, and spattered Luna Lovegood's magazine; Ginny and Harry, who had both flung their arms up in front of their faces just in time, merely looked as though they were wearing slimy green hats, but Colin, whose hands had been busy preventing Trevor's escape, received a faceful. It smelled like rancid manure. Neville, whose face and torso were also drenched, shook his head to get the worst out of his eyes.

"S - sorry," he gasped. "I haven't tried that before… didn't realize it would be quite so… don't worry, though, Stinksap's not poisonous," he added nervously, as Colin spat a mouthful onto the floor.

Colin burst into laughter, wiping his eyes with his sleeve while maintain a grip on the toad. "Don't worry about it, I've had far worse happen to me when a friend has mucked around with things." Colin reassured the boy. At that precise moment the door of their compartment slid open.

"Oh… hello, Harry," said a nervous voice. "Um… bad time?"

Colin watched as Harry wiped the his forehead as some of the slime dripped down from his hair. The teenage boy blushed slightly as a very pretty girl with long, shiny black hair was standing in the doorway smiling at him.

"Oh… hi," said Harry blankly.

"Um…" the girl blushed as well. "Well… just thought I'd say hello… bye then."

Rather pink in the face, she closed the door and departed. Harry slumped back in his seat and groaned. Colin watched as the boy grow even more red and embarrassed.

"Never mind," said Ginny bracingly. "Look, we can easily get rid of all this." She pulled out her wand. "Scourgify!"

The Stinksap vanished.

"Sorry," said Neville again, in a small voice.

Colin met Harry's eyes and grinned, "Don't worry, Stinksap is meant to give whatever it coats a glossy shade, so it'd be great for your hair."

Everyone laughed, even Harry. Colin handed Trevor back over, as Neville put the plant away again.

The carrier on the seat next to Colin emitted a noise, a miaow.

"Oh right, sorry, um, do any of you mind if I let my cat out? He gets annoyed if I leave him in there for a long time, and then my clothes end up getting ripped." Colin asked.

"That's fine, as long as Hedwig won't bother him or anything." Harry shrugged, gesturing to his owl.

"Nah, he's perfectly fine with other animals. He won't eat your toad either." Colin added, talking to Neville.

"That's fine." Ginny nodded.

Colin opened the carrier, and a light brown coloured cat padded out, stretching on the chair before looking around at them. His amber coloured eyes were bright, and his coat was brown, but so light and glossy it appeared gold in the light. "His name is Kilgharrah." said Colin.

Everyone watched as the cat crouched for a moment, muscles bunching in his legs, before he jumped up onto the rack above the seats and draped himself over the trunks so he was staring at Hedwig. Hedwig flapped her wings once but settled.

"He's not very social with others either, especially not when he's angry at me for forcing him into the carrier." Colin explained, as the two animals stayed silent, both just staring at each other as if silently talking.

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to IndiaMoore for your review! And thank you to those who favourited/followed! Please review as well and let me know your thoughts so far :)**

**Here's the next chapter for you to enjoy :D**

**Chapter 3**

After an hour or so, the food trolley had turned up and offered food to the kids. Colin had bought some food and shared it with Luna, despite the looks Neville and Harry gave him. While the other three ate, Colin began speaking with Luna quietly.

"Who is your Great-aunt?"

"Her name is Morgan, like your last name. She's a Seer, even though a lot of people believe her to be making the things up." Luna explained.

"I've heard of her, my mother used to be friends with her. Next time you talk to her, tell her Hunith and her son say hello."

"Of course." Luna agreed, then turned back to her magazine.

While Harry, Ginny and Neville had finished their pumpkin pasties and were busy swapping Chocolate Frog Cards, the compartment door slid open and the two prefects walked in, accompanied by an owl and a cat. Colin gathered that these were Hermione and Ron, from what Ginny, Harry and Neville had said, and moved his cat's carrier to the floor to make some room.

"I'm starving," said Ron, stowing Pigwidgeon next to Hedwig, grabbing a Chocolate Frog from Harry and throwing himself into the seat next to him. He ripped open the wrapper, bit off the frog's head and leaned back with his eyes closed as though he had had a very exhausting morning. He then sat back up and gave the cat next to the cages a look. "Who's cat?"

"Mine." Colin grinned.

Ron gave him a look, and Hermione smiled politely. "Hi, I'm Hermione Granger. This is Ron Weasley."

"I'm Colin, pleasure to meet you." Colin grinned, as Hermione sat down in the space he had cleared.

"Who are the prefects this year?" Ginny asked. Colin listened on, only slightly interested. He didn't know anyone to recognise names, but it would be helpful to know who was prefect and who to avoid.

"Well, there are two fifth-year prefects from each house," said Hermione, "Boy and girl from each."

"And guess who's a Slytherin prefect?" said Ron, still with his eyes closed.

"Malfoy," replied Harry at once, certain his worst fear would be confirmed.

"Course," said Ron bitterly, stuffing the rest of the Frog into his mouth and taking another.

"And that complete cow Pansy Parkinson," said Hermione viciously. "How she got to be a prefect when she's thicker than a concussed troll…"

"Who's Hufflepuff?" Harry asked.

"Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott," said Ron thickly.

"And Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil for Ravenclaw," said Hermione.

"You went to the Yule Ball with Padma Patil," said a vague voice.

Everyone turned to look at Luna Lovegood, who was gazing unblinkingly at Ron over the top of The Quibbler. He swallowed his mouthful of Frog.

"Yeah, I know I did," he said, looking mildly surprised.

"She didn't enjoy it very much," Luna informed him. "She doesn't think you treated her very well, because you wouldn't dance with her. I don't think I'd have minded," she added thoughtfully, "I don't like dancing very much."

She retreated behind The Quibbler again. Ron stared at the cover with his mouth hanging open for a few seconds, then looked around at Ginny for some kind of explanation, but Ginny had stuffed her knuckles in her mouth to stop herself giggling. Ron shook his head, bemused, then checked his watch.

"We're supposed to patrol the corridors every so often," he told Harry and Neville, "and we can give out punishments if people are misbehaving. I can't wait to get Crabbe and Goyle for something."

"You're not supposed to abuse your position, Ron!" said Hermione sharply.

"Yeah, right, because Malfoy won't abuse it at all," said Ron sarcastically.

"So you're going to descend to his level?"

"No, I'm just going to make sure I get his mates before he gets mine."

"For heaven's sake, Ron -"

"I'll make Goyle do lines, it'll kill him, he hates writing," said Ron happily. He lowered his voice to Goyle's low grunt and, screwing up his face in a look of pained concentration, mimed writing in midair. "I… must… not… look… like… a… baboon's… backside."

Everyone laughed, but nobody laughed harder than Luna Lovegood. She let out a scream of mirth that caused Hedwig to wake up and flap her wings indignantly and Crookshanks to leap up into the luggage rack, hissing. Luna laughed so hard her magazine slipped out of her grasp, slid down her legs and on to the floor.

"That was funny!"

Her prominent eyes swam with tears as she gasped for breath, staring at Ron. Utterly nonplussed, he looked around at the others, who were now laughing at the expression on Ron's face and at the ludicrously prolonged laughter of Luna Lovegood, who was rocking backwards and forwards, clutching her sides.

"Are you taking the mickey?" said Ron, frowning at her.

"Baboon's… backside!" she choked, holding her ribs.

While everyone else was watching Luna laugh, Colin noticed Harry pick up her magazine and begin reading it.

After a few minutes, as Luna was calming down and Harry had flicked through a few pages, reading articles here and there, Ron asked, "Anything good in there?"

"Of course not," said Hermione scathingly, before Harry could answer. "The Quibbler's rubbish, everyone knows that."

"Excuse me," said Luna; her voice had suddenly lost its dreamy quality. "My father's the editor."

"I - oh," said Hermione, looking embarrassed. "Well, it's got some interesting… I mean, it's quite…"

"I'll have it back, thank you," said Luna coldly, and leaning forwards she snatched it out of Harry's hands. Riffling through it to page fifty-seven, she turned it resolutely upside-down again and disappeared behind it.

"Some of the articles are quite interesting," Colin spoke up, hoping to step in and save Hermione from completely alienating Luna as a friend, "Expecially the ones about plants and things. Some things have gotten twisted over time and consequently, The Quibbler and any publisher have them wrong, but The Quibbler's one of the more accurate reports."

She didn't respond, and everyone sat in awkward silence, until the compartment door opened for the third time. Colin looked up to see Harry glaring at the three new boys standing in the doorway. The first one, obviously the leader had sleek pale blonde hair and a pointed chin with his mouth narrowed in a sneer. The other two were like two henchmen, one tall and solidly built, the other short and chubby, both standing there, attempting to glare threateningly at the compartment's occupants. Colin found it hilariously comical. He also found the blonde boy suspiciously familiar.

"What?" Harry snapped, before any of them actually opened their mouths to talk.

The blonde one spoke in a drawling voice, "Manners, Potter, or I'll have to give you a detention, you see, I, unlike you, have been made a prefect, which means that I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments."

Colin immediately thought the guy was a bastard, and half expected to feel his magic crawling with the nearness to an idiot, obnoxious prat. It didn't though.

"Yeah," said Harry, "but you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone." Everyone in the compartment (excluding Luna) laughed, as the blonde's lip curled upwards.

"Tell me, how does it feel being second-best to Weasley, Potter?" he asked.

"Shut up, Malfoy," said Hermione sharply.

"I seem to have touched a nerve," said Malfoy, smirking. "Well, just watch yourself, Potter, because I'll be dogging your footsteps in case you step out of line."

"Get out!" said Hermione, standing up.

Sniggering, Malfoy gave Harry a last malicious look and turned to depart, but stopped at the sight of Colin. "Who's this? A new person. Let me give you some advice. Don't hang around with this guys."

"I'll be with who I want thanks, and I'll make my own judgements of others." Colin shrugged.

Malfoy went to speak, but a hiss from above him stopped him. Colin's cat was leaning over the rack, fur fluffed out and claws out, hissing threateningly.

Malfoy sneered at the cat and then departed, with his two henchmen lumbering along in his wake. Hermione slammed the compartment door behind them and turned to look at Harry, Colin watching on as the pair exchanged a look that he couldn't decipher.

"Chuck us another Frog," said Ron, who had clearly noticed nothing.

"So who was that?" Colin asked curiously.

"Draco Malfoy, and his hoons, Crabbe and Goyle. Stuck-up idiots who are down-right evil." Ron explained.

"I take it you guys are enemies?" Colin casually asked.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Harry muttered sarcastically.

"Sorry," Hermione spoke suddenly, "In sitting with us here we just made them your enemy too."

"Don't worry, that blonde guy, Malfoy? He's not the kind of guy I'd want to be my friend." Colin shrugged. "He was a prat."

For the rest of the trip, they sat in companionable silence as the weather remained undecided as they travelled further and further north. Rain spattered the windows in a half-hearted way and then the sun put in a feeble appearance before clouds drifted over it once more. When darkness fell and lamps came on inside the carriages, Luna rolled up The Quibbler, put it carefully away in her bag and took to staring at everyone in the compartment instead.

"What's the castle like?" Colin asked.

"It's huge, and we got lost for the first two months, in fact, we still get lost." Ron grinned.

"But it is magnificent, and we'll show you around." Hermione added, trying not to make the boy nervous.

"There are houses?" Colin asked, a little confused as to how the school worked, "I think that's what I heard."

"Yeah, four houses. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin." Ginny answered. "Luna's in Ravenclaw while the rest of us are in Gryffindor."

"And Malfoy and his mates are in Slytherin?" Colin asked.

"How'd you know?" Ginny asked, kind of sarcastically.

"They don't seem like the type to be in Hufflepuff." Colin grinned back.

"We'd better change," Hermione interrupted, causing all of them opened their trunks with difficulty and pulled on their school robes. She and Ron pinned their prefect badges carefully to their chests. Harry saw Ron checking his reflection in the black window. Colin tugged on the clothes uncomfortably, but didn't say anything. His uniform was lacking a tie, as he didn't know which house he would be in yet.

At last, the train began to slow down and they heard the usual racket up and down it as everybody scrambled to get their luggage and pets assembled, ready to get off. As Ron and Hermione were supposed to supervise all this, they disappeared from the carriage again, leaving everyone else to look after their animals; Crookshanks and Pigwidgeon.

"I'll carry that owl, if you like, " said Luna to Harry, reaching out for Pigwidgeon as Neville stowed Trevor carefully in an inside pocket.

"Oh - er - thanks," said Harry, handing her the cage and hoisting Hedwig's more securely into his arms. Colin was carrying Crookshanks in his carrier, but his cat was draped over his shoulders, around his neck.

They shuffled out of the compartment feeling the first sting of the night air on their faces as they joined the crowd in the corridor. Slowly, they moved towards the doors. Colin eagerly moved forward, wanting to see his new home. As he stepped out onto the platform, they all heard a brisk female voice calling out, "First years line up over here, please! All first-years to me!"

A lantern came swinging towards their group of students, and the professor carrying it spotted Colin and gestured him over. "You're the new fifth year? Come with me as well." She called.

"Looks like I'm off." Colin grinned, handing Crookshanks over to Ginny. "I'll see you later."

"See you." Ginny called after the boy. "Good luck with the sorting!"

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's the next chapter for you to enjoy :D Thank you to those who reviewed.**

**Guest - I'm not saying anything :) I don't want to give anything away...but do you think it would be obvious who is Arthur, or do you think I'd make it difficult? Who knows ;D**

**Chapter 4**

Colin followed the professor on the boats and waited with the 11 year olds. Another teacher appeared, and spoke to him first.

"Colin Morgan, I presume?" she asked.

"Yes, professor."

"I'm Professor McGonagall, in a moment we'll go and sort through all the first years, and you'll be sorted at the end. Professor Dumbledore will explain you were homeschooled and just moved here this year."

"OK." Colin grinned, rubbing a hand over his cat's head.

"If you could please leave your animal out here, he is free to roam around, all the cats do, but you are responsible for him, and he is expected to be in your room for curfew. He isn't allowed in the classrooms, nor the Great Hall."

"OK." Colin picked Kilgharrah off his shoulders and put him down, the cat stood for a moment, then gracefully bounded off to explore. "He'll be fine, he'll be back in here in an hour looking for me." Colin told her.

"Very well." She turned to address the first years and then led them all inside a great big hall. He walked up, right behind professor McGonagall, ignoring the whispers of the hall and questioning glances he got. McGonagall placed a stool and an old hat on the stool, and Colin watched as the hat began to sing.

"_In times of old when I was new,  
And Hogwarts barely started,  
The founders of our noble school,  
Thought never to be parted,  
United by a common goal,  
They had the same yearning,_

_To make the world_'_s best magic school,  
And pass along their learning.  
_"_Together we will build and teach!_"  
_The four good friends decided,  
And never did they dream, T  
hat they might some day be divided,_

_For were there such friends anywhere,  
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?  
Unless it was the second pair  
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?  
So how could it have gone so wrong?  
How could such friendships fail?  
Why, I was there and so can tell,  
The whole sad, sorry tale._

_Said Slytherin, _"_We_'_ll teach just those whose Ancestry is purest._"  
_Said Ravenclaw, _"_We_'_ll teach those whose Intelligence is surest._"  
_Said Gryffindor, _"_We_'_ll teach all those With brave deeds to their name._" _  
Said Hufflepuff, _"_I_'_ll teach the lot, And treat them just the same._"

_These differences caused little strife,  
When first they came to light,  
For each of the four founders had  
A house in which they might  
Take only those they wanted,_

_So, for instance, Slytherin  
Took only pure-blood wizards  
Of great cunning, just like him,  
And only those of sharpest mind  
W__ere taught by Ravenclaw  
While the bravest and the boldest  
Went to daring Gryffindor.  
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,  
And taught them all she knew,_

_Thus the houses and their founders  
Retained friendships firm and true.  
So Hogwarts worked in harmony  
For several happy years,  
But then discord crept among us  
Feeding on our faults and fears._

_The houses that, like pillars four,  
Had once held up our school,  
Now turned upon each other and,  
Divided, sought to rule.  
And for a while it seemed the school  
Must meet an early end,  
What with dueling and with fighting  
And the clash of friend on friend_

_And at last there came a morning  
When old Slytherin departed  
And though the fighting then died out  
He left us quite downhearted.  
And never since the founders four  
Were whittled down to three  
Have the houses been united  
As they once were meant to be._

_And now the Sorting Hat is here  
And you all know the score:  
I sort you into houses  
Because that is what I_'_m for,  
But this year I_'_ll go further,  
Listen closely to my song:  
Though condemned I am to split you  
Still I worry that it_'_s wrong,_

_Though I must fulfill my duty  
And must quarter every year  
Still I wonder whether Sorting  
May not bring the end I fear.  
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,  
The warning history shows,  
For our Hogwarts is in danger  
From external, deadly foes_

_And we must unite inside her  
Or we_'_ll crumble from within  
I have told you,  
I have warned you…_

_Let the Sorting now begin._

Colin watched as McGonagall waited until the whispers had quieten down, then read from her list of parchment. "Abercrombie, Euan." There was a moment of silence, and then the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

The line of first years slowly dwindled until the last girl, Rose Zeller was sorted into Hufflepuff. When the cheers died down, McGonagall spoke up. "As you all would have noticed, we have a new student going into his Fifth year here. He has been homeschooled up until now, and will be sorted as well." McGonagall announced. She then gestured for him to sit on the stool.

Colin did so, awkwardly perching on the low stool, legs much too long and bony to be comfortable, and McGonagall placed the hat on his head.

He watched the students in the hall as they all watched him, and hid a smile when he heard the hat talking to him.

'_Hmm, interesting. A druid. Not only that, Emrys. Welcome to this humble school.'_

'_Thanks, it is a marvellous place, from what I've seen so far.'_ Colin responded.

'_So you're here to be sorted. You'd fit into any of the houses, but then, you'd fit into none of them for the same reasons. You don't have to be here, you've learnt all that the teachers here could offer you. So why are you here?'_

'_To protect Harry Potter. To help bring down Voldemort. The usual. You should know the prophecies going around. You should also know which ones are real.'_ Colin pointed out, aware of the growing silence from the Hall.

'_Indeed. Remember this, young Emrys, your friends are here for a reason. You are here for a reason. You can do great things, but in the end you can only act on the reasons you are here for. Do all you can to aid Harry Potter, but it is the boy who must be the one to kill the Dark Lord.'_

'_Thank you for your advice.'_ Colin thanked, just as the hat shouted to the Hall.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table burst into applause, and Colin moved to sit on the long table. Ron waved him over to their spot as the red-haired boy shoved people on the other side of Hermione over a seat.

Colin grinned at them as Dumbledore got to his feet for the 'welcome-let's-eat-now-and-talk-later' speech. "To our newcomers," said Dumbledore in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his lips, "Welcome! To our old hands - welcome back! There is a time for speechmaking, but this is not it. Tuck in!"

"Is he always like that? When I met him with my mum he was like that," Colin asked Ron, as food appeared on the long tables. There were platters of pies, vegetables, bread, sauces and flagons of pumpkin juice.

"Oh yeah, brilliant isn't he?" Ron grinned. "Crazy, but brilliant." Rno then tucked into his food, grabbing several handfuls of things and piling them on his plate.

Colin grinned, as Hermione leaned closer to the ghost near them. "What were you saying before the Sorting? About the Hat giving warnings?"

Colin stared at the ghost for a moment, as if in surprise, but shrugged, clearly accepting it as the norm. The ghost, otherwise known as Nearly headless Nicholas spoke, "Oh, yes," said Nick, who seemed glad of a reason to turn away from Ron, who was now eating roast potatoes with almost indecent enthusiasm. "Yes, I have heard the Hat give several warnings before, always at times when it detects periods of great danger for the school. And always, of course, its advice is the same: stand together, be strong from within."

"Ow kunnit nofe skusin danger ifzat?" said Ron. His mouth was so full Colin thought it was quite an achievement for him to make any noise at all.

"I beg your pardon?" said Nearly Headless Nick politely, while Hermione looked revolted.

Ron gave an enormous swallow and said, "How can it know if the school's in danger if it's a Hat?"

"I have no idea," said Nearly Headless Nick. "Of course, it lives in Dumbledore's office, so I daresay it picks things up there."

"And it wants all the houses to be friends?" said Harry, looking over at the Slytherin table, where Draco Malfoy was holding court. "Fat chance."

"Well, now, you shouldn't take that attitude," said Nick reprovingly. "Peaceful cooperation, that's the key. We ghosts, though we belong to separate houses, maintain links of friendship. In spite of the competitiveness between Gryffindor and Slytherin, I would never dream of seeking an argument with the Bloody Baron."

"Only because you're terrified of him," said Ron.

Colin winced as Nearly Headless Nick looked highly affronted. That was not the right thing to say if they wanted more information out of the ghost.

"Terrified? I hope I, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, have never been guilty of cowardice in my life! The noble blood that runs in my veins -"

"What blood?" asked Ron. "Surely you haven't still got -?"

"Its a figure of speech!" said Nearly Headless Nick, now so annoyed his head was trembling ominously on his partially severed neck. "I assume I am still allowed to enjoy the use of whichever words I like, even if the pleasures of eating and drinking are denied me! But I am quite used to students poking fun at my death, I assure you!"

"Nick, he wasn't really laughing at you!" said Hermione, throwing a furious look at Ron.

Unfortunately, Ron's mouth was packed to exploding point again and all he could manage was "Node iddum eentup sechew," which Nick did not seem to think constituted an adequate apology.

Rising into the air, he straightened his feathered hat and swept away from them to the other end of the table, coming to rest between the Creevey brothers, Colin and Dennis.

"Well done, Ron," snapped Hermione.

"What?" said Ron indignantly, having managed, finally, to swallow his food. "I'm not allowed to ask a simple question?"

"Oh, forget it," said Hermione irritably, and the pair of them sat in a huffy silence.

"So, where are you from?" Ron asked, turning to Colin.

"I'm from London, I live with my mum." Colin explained.

"Why the sudden change?" Hermione asked, "If you don't mind me asking."

"My mum thought that she had taught me all she could, but I hadn't learnt all I had to. She's been friends with Dumbledore for a while now, so when she spoke with him, he offered me a spot at the school." Colin shrugged, he then lowered his voice, "That and she felt like I wasn't safe at home. Here I'm protected." He rolled his eyes, "I'm here safe while she's at home unprotected with me gone."

Ron kept eating, shovelling his food, as Hermione made a sympathetic noise, "And your father?"

"He died before I was born. I don't think he even knew my mum was pregnant." said Colin.

"How'd he died?" Ron asked, in a rare moment when he had no food in his mouth.

"Ron." Hermione scolded.

"It's all right, I don't mind." Colin told them, "He was killed by the Dark Lord."

All three stopped and stared at him. "I'm sorry." Hermione said, "We shouldn't have asked."

"It's fine." Colin shrugged, before tucking into his meal.

Hermione glared at Ron who looked confused. Hermione sighed and shook her head, as if to say why-do-I-bother and they ate the rest of their meal in silence.

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here we go! Another chapter :) Hope you all enjoy it!**

**Thank you to all who have favourited/reviewed this story :D I hope I don't disappoint you all.**

**Chapter 5**

When the students had finished eating, and the noise level in the Hall was rising, Dumbledore got to his feet once more. Everyone stopped talking to watch him. "Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said Dumbledore. "First-years ought to know that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students - and a few of our older students ought to know by now, too." Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged smirks while Colin looked on in amusement. "Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four-hundred-and-sixty second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door. We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was a round of polite but fairly un-enthusiastic applause, during which Colin caught the slightly panicked looks Ron, Hermione and Harry exchanged.

"What's wrong?" Colin whispered.

"Later." Harry whispered back.

Dumbledore continued, "Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the -" He broke off, looking inquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge cleared her throat, "Hem, hem," and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech.  
Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise. One professor's eyebrows had disappeared into her flyaway hair and Professor McGonagall's mouth narrowed.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome." Her voice was high-pitched, breathy and little-girlish and it grated on Colin's nerves. She gave another little throat-clearing cough ("hem, hem") and continued. "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking up at me! I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"

Students exchanged looks at this; some of them were barely concealing grins.

"I'll be her friend as long as I don't have to borrow that cardigan," Colin heard a girl whisper to her friend and then watched as both of them lapsed into silent giggles.

Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again ("hem, hem"), but when she continued, some of the breathiness had vanished from her voice. She sounded much more businesslike and now her words had a dull learned-by-heart sound to them. "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."  
Professor Umbridge paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back to her. Professor McGonagall's dark eyebrows had contracted so that she looked positively hawk-like, and Harry distinctly saw her exchange a significant glance with Professor Sprout as Umbridge gave another little "hem, hem" and went on with her speech.

"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress' sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation…"

Colin stared in shock as the woman continued on, his brain not even registering what she was saying anymore. He gripped the edge of the table in a white-knuckled grip, trying desperately to reign in his magic before it burst out and caused trouble. The woman was suggesting Dumbledore had grown old and needed replacing to continue progress within the school, and that the Ministry treasured the passing down of knowledge, but then wanted to change their learning to be more to the Ministry's ideas. Colin glanced around the room and realised that none of the students were listening anymore. The teachers were still listening very attentively, and Hermione seemed to be drinking in every word Umbridge spoke, though, judging by her expression, they were not at all to her taste, but that was it.

"… because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."

She sat down. Dumbledore clapped. The staff followed his lead, though Colin noticed that several of them brought their hands together only once or twice before stopping. A few students joined in, but most had been taken unawares by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Dumbledore had stood up again.

"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," he said, bowing to her. "Now, as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held…"

"Yes, it certainly was illuminating," said Hermione in a low voice.

"You're not telling me you enjoyed it?" Ron said quietly, turning a glazed face towards Hermione. "That was about the dullest speech I've ever heard, and I grew up with Percy."

"I said illuminating, not enjoyable," said Hermione. "It explained a lot.'

"Did it" said Harry in surprise. "Sounded like a load of waffle to me."

"There was some important stuff hidden in the waffle," said Hermione grimly.

"Was there?" said Ron blankly.

"There most certainly was." Colin spoke up. "She basically just said that the Ministry is stepping in and going to brainwash everyone into doing what they think we should be doing. They're going to change everything to be what they wanted, and get rid of anything they don't approve of. They want to replace Dumbledore."

"You got all that from that speech?" Harry asked, surprised.

Before Colin could respond, there was a great clattering and banging all around them; Dumbledore had obviously just dismissed the school, because everyone was standing up ready to leave the Hall. Hermione jumped up, looking flustered.

"Ron, we're supposed to show the first-years where to go!"

"Oh yeah," said Ron, who had obviously forgotten. "Hey - hey, you lot! Midgets!"

"Ron!"

"Well, they are, they're titchy…"

"I know, but you can't call them midgets! - First-years!" Hermione called commandingly along the table. "This way, please!"

A group of new students walked shyly up the gap between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables, all of them trying hard not to lead the group. They did indeed seem very small, and Colin stood with Harry, grinning at them encouragingly. Colin noticed a pair of them staring at Harry with a horrified expression and Colin watched as Harry's smile dropped from his face.

"See you later," Harry said dully to Ron and Hermione and he made his way out of the Great Hall, with Colin following him.

"Sorry, I know you want to go off on your own, but I don't know where I'm going, nor do I know anyone else." Colin apologised, following the boy.

Harry blinked in surprise, "I don't mind, really."

"If you don't mind me asking, I mean, I understand completely if you don't want to answer, but what happened last year? Everyone kept staring and whispering, and I am almost certain it wasn't entirely because of me being new." Colin grinned.

"You don't read the news?" Harry asked.

"The Ministry write the news, and at the moment, I don't like the Ministry. They're attempting to get my people banned and force us to change our ways to their ways, so I am biased, and now they're interfering with the school that is meant to be completely void of politics. I read it, but don't believe anything I didn't already know, heard from elsewhere or if there is solid proof." Colin shrugged.

"Hang on, come this way." Harry muttered, grabbing Colin's arm and dragging him out of the crowd leaving the Hall and hurried up the marble staircase, taking a couple of concealed short cuts until they had soon left most of the crowds behind.

"I didn't want everyone to overhear." Harry told him in way of explanation.

"That's ok, I understand. This way I can tell you my story as well. I haven't told you everything that Dumbledore told me, or that I know because I wasn't sure those other people you were with could hear it." Colin shrugged. "But you go first."

"Last year, I witnessed Voldemort's return."

"I know. Anyone who isn't stupid should be able to tell he is back. The whole world screamed the night he came back." Colin nodded.

Harry frowned at that, "I think everyone but you and your people are stupid then. No one believes me. There was the Tri-wizard Tournament. And during the final stage another student, Cedric, and I were transported to a graveyard where he was killed and I watched Voldemort be brought back to life. Obviously no one believes me and they are assuming I'm lying about it all to get attention." Harry explained, his anger evident.

"I do not understand how they missed his resurrection, but I suppose it is fair to say our magic is different, and I should expect it." Colin shrugged.

"How is your magic different?" Harry asked.

"The way I've learnt it, the way the druids are, it's about nature, and what is called the Old Religion. Our magic is about being in balance and at peace with nature, and using natural methods. When the Dark Lord was resurrected, it has shifted the balance, the whole world cried out, everyone who could feel it was affected, I was violently ill, my neighbour fainted. I can still feel the imbalance, the world struggling to right itself and straighten up, so to speak. That won't happen until the Dark Lord is dead." Colin explained, as Harry lead them down another deserted corridor. "That leads me onto what I have to tell you. The druids are a dying race of sorts. My community are the last ones, and it won't be long until the Dark Lord finds them and demands they help him."

"And?"

"They'll refuse. There is no way any proper druid will join his side and go against the balance. And when they refuse, he will kill them. That is why my mother sent me away, he can track the druids down when they use their magic, it is unique and is traceable if you know how. I wasn't born a druid. I was brought up under their teachings, and know and believe as one, but my magic is not truly druidic, so I cannot be traced like them. The Dark Lord cannot track me, so if I am not with the village when he attacks, he will not know I survived."

Colin stopped walking, and gripped Harry's arm to stop him from walking. "I can help you stop Voldemort. I will help you stop Voldemort. When the time comes, I will do what I can to help you. That is why Dumbledore wanted me to be here at Hogwarts. I will not learn anything I don't already know from this school, but I will hopefully prove I can be trusted, and when it comes down to it, I'll be able to help you stop Voldemort. He killed my father because he feared him. My father was capable of defending himself and others against the Dark Lord, and while he wasn't strong enough to kill the man, I inherited his powers, so between you, me and anyone else on our side, we stand a chance."

Harry was speechless.

"I don't expect you to trust me right away; I don't trust you entirely right away. But I know of you, Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived, the one who is capable of killing the Dark Lord, and know that you deserve all the help I can give, and more." Colin shrugged, then grinned widely at Harry.

"Wow. I um, I don't know what to say." Harry muttered.

"Don't say anything then." Colin grinned. "Who do you trust? I will tell them the truth as well."

"Hermione and Ron. We'll talk tomorrow, don't worry about it."

The pair walked on in silence. They reached the end of the corridor to the Gryffindor common room and come to a halt in front of a portrait of a Fat Lady, who was sitting there, watching them expectantly. Colin glanced at Harry, who looked stumped.

"Er…" Harry said glumly, staring up at the Fat Lady, who smoothed the folds of her pink satin dress and looked sternly back at them. "I don't know the password." Harry admitted to Colin and the portrait.

"No password, no entrance," she said loftily.

"Harry, Colin, I know it!" Someone panted up behind them and they turned to see Neville jogging towards them. "Guess what it is? I'm actually going to be able to remember it for once -" He waved the stunted little cactus he had shown them on the train. "Mimbulus mimbletonia!"

"Correct," said the Fat Lady, and her portrait swung open towards them like a door, revealing a circular hole in the wall behind, through which the three boys climbed through.

Colin looked around the room curiously. The Gryffindor common room looked welcoming; a cozy circular tower room full of dilapidated squashy armchairs and rickety old tables. A fire was crackling merrily in the grate and a few people were warming their hands by it before going up to their dormitories; on the other side of the room the red-haired twins were pinning something up on the noticeboard.

Harry waved goodnight to them, and Colin followed him up the stairs to their dormitories. Neville followed as well. When they entered their room, Colin noticed his trunk and carrier on a bed in the corner, with his cat, Kilgharrah curled up on the pillow. There were another two boys already inside, unpacking and covering the walls beside their beds with posters and photographs. They had been talking when Harry had pushed open the door, but had stopped, leading Colin to think they had been talking about Harry.

"Hi," Harry said, moving across to his own trunk and opening it. "This is Colin, Colin this is Dean and Seamus."

"Nice to meet you." Colin nodded at the pair of boys, and moved to his bed, where his trunk sat. On top of the bed was his cat, who stood and stretched, before miaowing at Colin. He slung the cat over his shoulders, and began unpacking his luggage.

"Hey Harry, Colin, nice to meet you." said Dean, who was putting on a pair of pajamas in the West Ham colors. "Good holiday?"

"Not bad," muttered Harry, "You?" Colin listened in silence, as he began unpacking as well.

"Yeah, it was okay," chuckled Dean. "Better than Seamus's, anyway, he was just telling me."

"Why, what happened, Seamus?" Neville asked as he placed his Mimbulus mimbletonia tenderly on his bedside cabinet.

Seamus did not answer immediately; he was making rather a meal of ensuring that his poster of the Kenmare Kestrels Quidditch team was quite straight. Then he said, with his back still turned to Harry, "Me mam didn't want me to come back."

"What?" said Harry, pausing in the act of pulling off his robes. Colin stayed silent, as did Dean. Both knew not to interfere.

"She didn't want me to come back to Hogwarts."

Seamus turned away from his poster and pulled his own pajamas out of his trunk, still not looking at Harry.

"But - why?" said Harry, astonished.

Seamus did not answer until he had finished buttoning his pajamas. "Well," he said in a measured voice, "I suppose… because of you."

"What d'you mean?" said Harry quickly.

"Well," said Seamus again, still avoiding Harry's eye, "she… er… well, it's not just you, it's Dumbledore, too…"

"She believes the Daily Prophet?" said Harry. "She thinks I'm a liar and Dumbledore's an old fool?"

Seamus looked up at him. "Yeah, something like that."

Harry said nothing. He threw his wand down on to his bedside table, pulled off his robes, stuffed them angrily into his trunk and pulled on his pajamas. He got into bed and made to pull the hangings closed around him, but before he could do so, Seamus said,

"Look… what did happen that night when… you know, when… with Cedric Diggory and all?" Seamus sounded nervous and eager at the same time. Dean, who had been bending over his trunk trying to retrieve a slipper, went oddly still and everyone knew he was listening hard. Colin didn't stop moving, silently changing into pyjamas, wondering if he should speak up about his belief in Harry. He decided against it, knowing he was new and not accepted yet meant whatever he said could make things worse.

"What are you asking me for?" Harry retorted. "Just read the Daily Prophet like your mother, why don't you? That'll tell you all you need to know."

"Don't you have a go at my mother," Seamus snapped.

"I'll have a go at anyone who calls me a liar," said Harry.

"Don't talk to me like that!"

"I'll talk to you how I want," said Harry, his temper rising so fast he snatched his wand back from his bedside table. "If you've got a problem sharing a dormitory with me, go and ask McGonagall if you can be moved… stop your mummy worrying -"

"Leave my mother out of this, Potter!"

"What's going on?" Ron had appeared in the doorway. His wide eyes traveled from Harry, who was kneeling on his bed with his wand pointing at Seamus, to Seamus, who was standing there with his fists raised.

"He's having a go at my mother!" Seamus yelled.

"What?" said Ron. "Harry wouldn't do that — we met your mother, we liked her…"

"That's before she started believing every word the stinking Daily Prophet writes about me!" said Harry at the top of his voice.

"Oh," said Ron, comprehension dawning across his freckled face. "Oh… right."

"You know what?" said Seamus heatedly, casting Harry a venomous look. "He's right, I don't want to share a dormitory with him anymore, he's a madman."

"That's out of order, Seamus," said Ron, whose ears were starting to glow red.

"Out of order, am I?" shouted Seamus, who in contrast with Ron was tuning paler. "You believe all the rubbish he's come out with about You-Know-Who, do you, you reckon he's telling the truth?"

"Yeah, I do!" said Ron angrily.

"Then you're mad, too," said Seamus in disgust.

"Yeah? Well, unfortunately for you, pal, I'm also a prefect!" said Ron, jabbing himself in the chest with a finger. "So unless you want detention, watch your mouth!"

Seamus looked for a few seconds as though detention would be a reasonable price to pay to say what was going through his mind; but with a noise of contempt he turned on his heel, vaulted into bed and pulled the hangings shut with such violence that they were ripped from the bed and fell in a dusty pile to the floor. Ron glared at Seamus and then looked at Dean, Colin and Neville. "Anyone else's parents got a problem with Harry?" he said aggressively.

"My parents are Muggles, mate," said Dean, shrugging. "They don't know nothing about any deaths at Hogwarts, because I'm not stupid enough to tell them."

"You don't know my mother, she'd weasel anything out of anyone!" Seamus snapped at him. "Anyway your parents don't get the Daily Prophet. They don't know our Headmaster's been sacked from the Wizengamot and the International Confederation of Wizards because he's losing his marbles -"

"My gran says that's rubbish," piped up Neville. "She says it's the Daily Prophet that's going downhill, not Dumbledore. She's cancelled our subscription. We believe Harry," said Neville simply. He climbed into bed and pulled the covers up to his chin, looking owlishly over them at Seamus. "My gran's always said You-Know-Who would come back one day. She says if Dumbledore says he's back, he's back."

"I believe in what I know and feel, not what I've been told." Colin spoke softly. "I don't take the word of the newspapers, which has been through several people and several editors and changed so often that a simple sentence saying the Minister doesn't eat chocolate has been changed to the Ministry hating chocolate and suing them for making such disgusting products." With that, Colin climbed into his bed with his cat curled up on his pillow.

Nobody else said anything. Seamus got out his wand, repaired the bed hangings and vanished behind them. Dean got into bed, rolled over and fell silent. Neville, who appeared to have nothing more to say either, was gazing fondly at his moonlit cactus.

Colin listened as Ron bustled about, getting ready for bed.

_'Interesting welcome, don't you think?'_

Colin glanced at Kilgharrah whose eyes were open and watching Colin intently.

_'Interesting doesn't quite cover it. Harry is going to go through an ordeal these next few years, he needs all his friends on his side, not to be squabbling and __not believing him.'_

_'You'll fix things, young Emrys.'_

_'Thanks for the confidence in me. I do have to point out I have no idea how. Everyone has just assumed I'll do it and that I already know everything. Just because I am a reincarnation and have awesome magical powers does not mean I remember everything, nor does it mean I am capable of the same things.'_ Colin sighed, shifting further under the blankets.

_'You'll know what to do as the situation calls for it. Do not worry about that.'_

'_Thanks. Goodnight Kil.'_

_'Goodnight, young Emrys.'_

Kilgharrah's eyes slipped shut, as Colin drifted off to sleep.

**TBC**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you to all who have reviewed and favourited and just read this story! I know there is quite a few people reading it. Please review to let me know what you thought, what you liked, what needs improvment, etc.**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 6**

Colin woke up before anyone else, and got dressed just as Seamus started getting up.

Seamus nodded in greeting, but didn't say anything, clearly still fuming over his fight with Harry last night.

"You're not wrong in believing what you choose to believe." Colin whispered. "If you choose to follow your mother and believe what she has said, and what the newspaper has told you, you are not wrong to stand up for it, but you've known Harry since you started Hogwarts, when you were eleven, have you not?"

"Yeah, but what's it to you?" Seamus whispered back, getting dressed as well.

"You know him better than me, so you tell me. Would Harry make something like that up? Ignoring all you've been told by your mum, the newspaper, Dumbledore, everyone. Would Harry lie about Cedric Diggery's death? Would he lie about Voldemort being back?"Colin shrugged. "Seems to me that Harry wouldn't make up lies about his parents' murderer being brought back to life. Doesn't sound like something anyone, let alone Harry would want."

Seamus didn't pause, but hurriedly finished dressing and was out the door and downstairs just as Harry and Ron were waking up.

As the rest of the boys got dressed, Harry spoke loudly, anger evident in his voice, ""Does he think he'll turn into a nutter if he stays in a room with me too long?"

"Don't worry about it, Harry," Dean muttered, hoisting his school bag onto his shoulder, "he's just…" But apparently he was unable to say exactly what Seamus was, and after a slightly awkward pause followed him out of the room.

Neville and Ron both gave Harry an 'it's-his-problem-not-yours' look, but Harry was not much consoled, which was obvious in his face and body language. Colin followed them downstairs, and stayed quiet as Hermione joined them five minutes later

"What's the matter?" Hermione asked, "You look absolutely – Oh for heaven's sake!"

Colin glanced up from his shoes and followed her line of sight to see her glaring at the common-room's noticeboard. Colin read it over her shoulder.

_GALLONS OF GALLEONS._

_Pocket money failing to keep pace with your outgoings? Like to earn a little extra gold? Contact Fred and George Weasley, Gryffindor common room, for simple, part-time, virtually painless jobs. (We regret that all work is undertaken at applicant_'_s own risk.)_

"They are at the limit," said Hermione grimly, taking down the sign, which Fred and George had pinned up over a poster giving the date of the first Hogsmeade weekend in October. "We'll have to talk to them, Ron."

Ron looked positively alarmed. Colin found it hilarious.

"Why?"

"Because we're prefects!" said Hermione, as they climbed out through the portrait hole. "It's up to us to stop this kind of thing!"

Ron said nothing; Colin and Harry could tell from his glum expression that the prospect of stopping Fred and George doing exactly what they liked was not one he found inviting.

"Anyway, what's up, Harry?" Hermione continued, as they walked down a flight of stairs lined with portraits of old witches and wizards, all of whom ignored them, being engrossed in their own conversation. "You look really angry about something."

"Seamus reckons Harry's lying about You-Know-Who," said Ron succinctly, when Harry did not respond.

Hermione, who Harry had expected to react angrily on his behalf, sighed.

"Yes, Lavender thinks so too," she said gloomily.

"Been having a nice little chat with her about whether or not I'm a lying, attention-seeking prat, have you?" Harry said loudly.

"No," said Hermione calmly. "I told her to keep her big fat mouth shut about you, actually. And it would be quite nice if you stopped jumping down our throats, Harry, because in case you haven't noticed, Ron and I are on your side."

There was a short pause.

"Sorry," said Harry in a low voice.

"That's quite all right," said Hermione with dignity.

"I'm on your side too mate. Told you so last night." Colin piped up, slapping the boy on his shoulder.

Harry grinned slightly back at him.

"What'd you say last night?" Ron asked, confused.

"My magic is unique. I didn't come here to learn how to use magic, but more to be with Harry. I am going to help him stop the Dark Lord. Lord Voldemort fears only a handful of things. Professor Dumbledore, a man named Balinor and the druid people. Dumbledore you all know, Balinor is dead and the druid people soon will be. Once that happens, Voldemort will believe there is only Dumbledore left in his way." Colin explained.

"But that won't be all?" Hermione asked.

Colin shook his head. "He'll have reason to fear me when the time comes. He does not know I exist, because if he did, he'd hunt me down and either get me to join him or kill me when failing at that. I cannot let him know about me until the time is right." Colin sighed. "Until then, we need to remain strong, and stay united. I'm not saying go party with Slytherin, but –"

You-Know-Who has a gift for spreading discord and his enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust." Hermione quoted.

"Who said that?" Colin asked.

"Dumbledore, in the end of year speech last year."

"How do you remember stuff like that?" asked Ron, looking at her in admiration.

"I listen, Ron," said Hermione, with a touch of asperity.

"So do I, but I still couldn't tell you exactly what -"

"What Colin is saying is that same as what Dumbledore was talking about. You-Know-Who's only been back two months and we've already started fighting among ourselves. And the Sorting Hats warning was the same: stand together, be united —"

"Be strong." Colin finished.

They had reached the foot of the marble staircase. A line of fourth-year Ravenclaws was crossing the Entrance Hall; they caught sight of Harry and hurried to form a tighter group, as though frightened he might attack stragglers.

"Yeah, we really ought to be trying to make friends with people like that," said Harry sarcastically.

They followed the Ravenclaws into the Great Hall, with Hermione, Ron and Harry all looking instinctively at the staff table as they entered. Professor Grubbly-Plank was chatting to Professor Sinistra, the Astronomy teacher, and Hagrid was once again conspicuous only by his absence. The enchanted ceiling above them echoed Harry's mood; it was a miserable rain-cloud grey.

"Dumbledore didn't even mention how long that Grubbly-Plank woman's staying," he said, as they made their way across to the Gryffindor table.

"What's wrong with Professor Grubbly-Plank?" Colin asked, confused.

"She's not the normal teacher. Our normal teacher is Hagrid, the school's groundskeeper and out friend." Hermione explained. "He's not here, so we reckon he's on some business for Dumbledore."

"Maybe Dumbledore doesn't want to draw attention to Hagrid not being here if he hasn't given out details?" Colin suggested.

"What d'you mean, draw attention to it?" said Ron, half-laughing. "How could we not notice?"

Colin looked confused, but Ron was unable to explain as a tall black girl with long braided hair had marched up to Harry.

"Hi, Angelina."

"Hi," she said briskly, "good summer?" And without waiting for an answer, "Listen, I've been made Gryffindor Quidditch Captain."

Colin tuned the group out, and turned to study the Hall. The teachers were all sitting on their table, eating their breakfast. Colin recognised professor McGonagall, and professor Umbridge from her speech last night, but had not had a chance to study them. He sat down next to Ron and tuned out the conversation, throwing his magic out over the teachers. McGonagall and majority of the rest felt normal, brushing against his then settling back down. Two teachers stood out. Umbridge's magic, when Colin pressed against it pushed against it, repelling his golden warmth. The magic felt like hatred and sickness and left Colin's stomach swirling. The second teacher was far worse. Instead of repelling, it drew him in, pulling him into the greasy haired, dark-eyed man. Colin let out a gasp as he felt the magic attack him and with a little difficulty, pulled away, jerking his magic free. Colin kept his attention on the table as he felt the teacher looking around and then start glaring in their direction.

Luckily, the post arrived, distracting him.

Colin watched as Hermione paid for her newspaper and kept it, as the barn owl flew away.

"What are you still getting that for?" said Harry irritably, "I'm not bothering… load of rubbish."

"It's best to know what the enemy is saying," said Hermione darkly, and she unfurled the newspaper and disappeared behind it, not emerging until the boys had finished eating.

"Nothing," she said simply, rolling up the newspaper and laying it down by her plate. "Nothing about you or Dumbledore or anything."

Colin sighed in relief. The mass murder of the last druid community would be reported, regardless of what they say about the event, whether they say Voldemort or not. He would hear if his people had been killed.

"Mr Morgan, if you could please come to my office at the beginning of the first class, I've some things to discuss with you." McGonagall informed the boy, handing over his schedule.

"Of course Professor."

They all waited until she had moved away before Ron started complaining, "Look at today! History of Magic, double Potions, Divination and double Defense Against the Dark Arts… Binns, Snape, Trelawney and that Umbridge woman all in one day! I wish Fred and George'd hurry up and get those Skiving Snackboxes sorted…"

"Do mine ears deceive me?'" said Fred, arriving with George and squeezing on to the bench beside Harry. "Hogwarts prefects surely don't wish to skive off lessons?"

"Look what we've got today," said Ron grumpily, shoving his timetable under Fred's nose.

"That's the worst Monday I've ever seen."

"Fair point, little bro," said Fred, scanning the column. "You can have a bit of Nosebleed Nougat cheap if you like."

"Why's it cheap?" said Ron suspiciously.

"Because you'll keep bleeding till you shrivel up, we haven't got an antidote yet," said George, helping himself to a kipper.

"Cheers," said Ron moodily, pocketing his timetable, "but I think I'll take the lessons."

"And speaking of your Skiving Snackboxes," said Hermione, eyeing Fred and George beadily, "you can't advertise for testers on the Gryffindor noticeboard."

"Says who?" said George, looking astonished.

Colin turned to Harry as the four argued about whether the twins would stop or not.

"Who's the creepy looking teacher?" Colin whispered, not risking a glance over his shoulder at the man. His magic would tell him if the guy approached.

"Professor Snape. Teaches potions." Harry explained around a mouthful of food. "Creepy doesn't being to explain him. You'll see in class later."

"Right, thanks. I guess I'll see you guys later in class, I'm going to head to McGonagall's office now." Colin stood, having eaten his breakfast.

"Right, see you." Harry nodded. Ron waved, Hermione was busy telling the twins off and the twins were arguing back.

Colin happily made his way out of the hall and up the main staircase. He cast his magic out, letting it run along the walls and floor as he followed the trail of McGonagall's magic to her office. When he knocked, no one answered, so he sat down by the door and waited. He shut his eyes and rested his head back against the wall. To any passerby, he looked like he was sleeping. He wasn't though. He was focusing on his magic, throwing it out along the walls of the castle and further, searching the ground for weak points. He was here to protect Harry Potter, he'd do a damn good job.

Five minutes into his search, a small cough interrupted him, bringing him back to the land of the living.

"Mr Morgan, if you would be so kind as to get up and stop sleeping when you are meant to be awake, I would much appreciate it." McGonagall was standing over him.

Colin got to his feet and followed the woman inside her office.

"Now, I asked you here because Professor Dumbledore asked me to, he wishes to meet with you, although why you couldn't go straight to his office, I've no clue." McGonagall muttered.

"Perhaps I wished to remain indiscrete?" Dumbeldore asked, entering the office. McGonagall sat at her desk as Dumbledore approached Colin and offered him his hand, "Colin Morgan, it is a pleasure to see you again. I hope you are settling in well?"

"Exceptionally." Colin grinned at the elderly man.

"I asked to speak with you because I wanted to know what your plans are, if you would be so kind to share them with us." Dumbledore asked, gesturing for the boy to sit, as the man sat himself down.

"What makes you think I have a plan? I've been at the school one day already." Colin pointed out.

"Wait, plans?" McGonagall asked, confused.

"I will explain everything afterwards Minerva, just try to follow as much as possible. Mr Morgan, if you would."

"Colin, firstly, not Mr Morgan. And secondly, I guess I do have some plans already." Colin grinned at the teachers. "First off, the castle defences are unbreakable to the ordinary wizard, but if I could pick up the flaws in five minutes, so can Voldemort. We need to start slowly breaking them down and rebuilding them. I'll work on the spell and get back to you on that."

"Why do we need to break them down? Why not just layer them over the old ones, surely it is more protection in the long run?"

"If all the protections were the same, then it may work, but so many different magics have been used, there are several that are cancelling each other out. I'll design the weave and show you how to do it, so you can get a group of wizards and witches doing it." Colin leaned back in the chair as he rubbed his eyes. "Secondly, Harry needs to be told what is going on, and his friends, Hermione and Ron. They're going to dig, and they're going to get frustrated and go off on their own and get in trouble."

"No, they're not ready. If things come to it, then I will tell Harry what he needs to know, but he is not prepared for it all." Dumbledore shook his head.

Colin sighed and resolved to wear the man down gradually.

"What's going on?" McGonagall demanded.

"Colin here is known as Emrys to his people, the druids." Dumbledore explained.

McGonagall stared in shock.

"He'll be helping protect Harry, and when it comes down to it, he'll help us defend ourselves and defeat Voldemort." Dumbledore finished.

"Hopefully." Colin added in on the end.

McGonagall just stared in shock.

**TBC**


	7. Chapter 7

**Another great response from the previous chapter...I only wish more people would review :)**

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**Here's the next chapter for you all to read.**

**Chapter 7**

Colin completely missed his History of Magic class, but McGonagall promised to deal with the resulting detention.

He ran downstairs to the potions room, hoping against hope that he would make it in time. He took the steps down two at a time but managed to live up to his reputation of being clumsy. He tripped on the fourth last step and tumbled down them and into the boy at the bottom. They both tumbled to the ground in a heap, and Colin jumped up immediately, about to apologise. Malfoy turned around and sneered at him, causing Colin to glare back.

"Watch where you're going, you clumsy oaf." Malfoy spat.

"Forgive me, I don't know how I missed seeing you and your enormous ego." Colin snapped back.

"You better watch it, idiot, or else I won't be so kind next time you run into me." Malfoy sneered before turning to continue walking to potions.

Colin let him walk ahead before following, muttering and cursing the blonde boy. He managed to make it to class just in time, getting there moments before the door was meant to open..

"What she'd want?" Ron whispered.

"Talk to me about what level of learning I was at and what subjects to do and everything. I hadn't decided my electives, so I asked to be put with you and Harry until I decide." Colin whispered back, as they moved inside the cold dungeons. He didn't say anything about his run in with Malfoy, still fuming and pissed off with the blonde. It had been his own fault that he had run into him, but Colin had been prepared to apologise, and was going to when Malfoy had turned around and been a bastard about it.

"Settle down." Professor Snape said coldly, shutting the door behind him as he entered. Colin stared down at his open book as the teacher swept past, and kept his eyes there despite the hatred radiating off Snape in his direction. That was two people he'd made hate him in the space of two days. Excellent.

_'One would assume he felt your magical probe earlier.'_

Colin rolled his eyes as Kilgharrah's mental voice filled his ears.

"Before we begin today's lesson, I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions."

_'Shh, I'm trying to listen.'_ Colin told his cat.

"Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape an 'Acceptable' in your OWL, or suffer my… displeasure."

_'You already know all this, you could brew any potion he requested without fail, especially with the method and ingredients given to you.'_ Kilgharrah sent back. Colin hid a grin.

"After this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me,"

_'That may be, but I still need to listen to my teachers in class. So be quiet.'_

"I take only the very best into my NEWT Potions class, which means that some of us will certainly be saying goodbye."

_'I will not be quiet. I am far older than you can imagine, and have –'_

_'Decided to grace me with your presence, advice and guidance. It is a great honour and one I should not treat lightly.' Colin finished the thought for the familiar._

"But we have another year to go before that happy moment of farewell, so, whether or not you are intending to attempt NEWT, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the high pass level I have come to expect from my OWL students."

_'Hmph.'_

"Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level: the Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation."

'_Exactly what I thought. Now please be quiet so I can do this properly.'_

"Be warned: if you are too heavy-handed with the ingredients you will put the drinker into a heavy and sometimes irreversible sleep, so you will need to pay close attention to what you are doing."

_'Teacher's pet.'_

"The ingredients and method are on the blackboard and you will find everything you need in the store cupboard. You have an hour and a half… start."

_'Real mature, Kil, real mature.'_

Colin skimmed through the ingredients and set about making the potion. It was fiddly, difficult and precise. Everything Colin had taught himself to be, after the first time he made a potion, was heavy-handed and blew the potion up into his face. He never wanted to repeat the humiliation he faced from the other apprentices again.

He glanced around at the class about halfway through, and saw that Hermione had managed to follow the instructions, but everyone else had made mistakes somewhere along the way. He felt eyes on the back of his head, and fought the urge to turn and glare back at the professor. Colin stirred his potion clockwise, and was in the middle of changing directions when he felt someone's magic ooze out into his brain, attempting to break into his mind. He kept his eyes down as he hid a grin. He kept his mental blocks up, and when the oozing magic had completely surrounded his mind, he pushed outward with his golden magic, shocking the black ooze.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Snape jolted, as if stung by something.

Colin hid a smirk as the teacher continued circling the room as if nothing was wrong.

He was going to have fun with this teacher.

* * *

At lunch, Harry, Ron and Hermione were discussing Snape's unfairness.

Hermione began to make a comment, "I did think he might be a bit better this year," said Hermione in a disappointed voice. "I mean… you know…" she looked around carefully and paused when she realised Colin was listening.

The three shared a look and fell silent.

"Not obvious at all guys." Colin told them, grinning. "If you're talking about the Order and all that, I know, My parents were a part of it last time, and Dumbledore told me about it, well, he told my mum, who told me."

"Well, in that case, I thought he might've changed now he's in the Order and everything." Hermione continued.

"Poisonous toadstools don't change their spots," said Ron sagely. "Anyway I've always thought Dumbledore was cracked trusting Snape. Where's the evidence he ever really stopped working for You-Know-Who?"

"I think Dumbledore's probably got plenty of evidence, even if he doesn't share it with you, Ron," snapped Hermione.

"Oh, shut up, the pair of you," said Harry heavily, as Ron opened his mouth to argue back.

Hermione and Ron both froze, looking angry and offended. "Can't you give it a rest?" said Harry. "You're always having a go at each other, it's driving me mad." And abandoning his shepherd's pie, he swung his schoolbag back over his shoulder and left them sitting there.

Colin sighed after the troubled teen as the other two friends fell silent, glaring at each other, but neither talking.

* * *

Divination was uneventful, Colin sat quietly with Ron and Harry, and kept to the shadows, avoiding the attention of the teacher. He could sense the faint Seeing magic in the woman, and knew of her potential, but also knew she was quite happy to remain oblivious to her true gift and he wasn't going to interfere with that by drawing attention to himself and pointing it out.

Their next class was Defense Against the Dark Arts, and this was the one Colin was dreading the most. When they entered, they found Professor Umbridge already seated at the teacher's desk, wearing the fluffy pink cardigan of the night before and the black velvet bow on top of her head.

The class was quiet as it entered the room; Professor Umbridge was, as yet, an unknown quantity and nobody knew how strict a disciplinarian she was likely to be. Colin frowned as her magic stretched out over the class, and his magic reacted, pushing her magic away and causing his stomach to roll with disgust.

"Well, good afternoon!" she said, when finally the whole class had sat down.

A few people mumbled "good afternoon" in reply.

"Tut, tut," said Professor Umbridge. "That won't do, now, will it? I should like you, please, to reply 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge'. One more time, please. Good afternoon, class!"

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," they chanted back at her.

"There, now," said Professor Umbridge sweetly. "That wasn't too difficult, was it? Wands away and quills out, please."

Many of the class exchanged gloomy looks; the order "wands away" had never yet been followed by a lesson they had found interesting. Colin pulled his quill, ink and parchment out, never having grabbed his wand in the first place. He'd yet to get into the habit of at least pretending to use his wand, and his wand remained on the bottom of his bag.

Professor Umbridge opened her handbag, extracted her own wand, which was an unusually short one, and tapped the blackboard sharply with it; words appeared on the board at once:

_Defense Against the Dark Arts A Return to Basic Principles_

"Well now, your teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented, hasn't it?" stated Professor Umbridge, turning to face the class with her hands clasped neatly in front of her. "The constant changing of teachers, many of whom do not seem to have followed any Ministry approved curriculum, has unfortunately resulted in your being far below the standard we would expect to see in your OWL year. You will be pleased to know, however, that these problems are now to be rectified. We will be following a carefully structured, theory-centered, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic this year. Copy down the following, please."

She rapped the blackboard again; the first message vanished and was replaced by:

_Course Aims:_

_1. Understanding the principles underlying defensive magic._

_2. Learning to recognize situations in which defensive magic can legally be used._

_3. Placing the use of defensive magic in a context for practical use._

For a couple of minutes the room was full of the sound of scratching quills on parchment. When everyone had copied down Professor Umbridge's three course aims she asked, "Has everybody got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"

There was a dull murmur of assent throughout the class.

"I think we'll try that again," said Professor Umbridge. "When I ask you a question, I should like you to reply, 'Yes, Professor Umbridge', or 'No, Professor Umbridge'. So: has everyone got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"

"Yes, Professor Umbridge," rang through the room.

"Good," said Professor Umbridge. "I should like you to turn to page five and read 'Chapter One, Basics for Beginners'. There will be no need to talk."

Colin stared in shock at the woman who was treating them like children. She left the blackboard and settled herself in the chair behind the teacher's desk, observing them all closely with those pouchy toad's eyes. He continued staring, shocked and horrified that the Ministry didn't want to just control their practical learning, but stop it all together, especially with all the dangers in the world, and all the things one needs to know about the magic they use.

Colin wasn't the only one who hadn't opened his book. Hermione was staring fixedly at Professor Umbridge with her hand in the air. Book shut on the desk in front of her.

After several more minutes had passed, everyone in the class were watching not only Hermione attempt to get Professor Umbridge's eye, but also Colin's stubborn slouch and refusal to open the book.

Umbridge realised she could not just continue ignoring the pair, so she walked up to Hermione, and crouched over the desk, talking to the girl as if she had only just noticed her."Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?"

"Not about the chapter, no," said Hermione.

"Well, we're reading just now," said Professor Umbridge, showing her small pointed teeth. "If you have other queries we can deal with them at the end of class."

"I've got a query about your course aims," said Hermione.

Professor Umbridge raised her eyebrows.

"And your name is?"

"Hermione Granger," said Hermione.

"Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully" said Professor Umbridge in a voice of determined sweetness.

"Well, I don't," said Hermione bluntly. "There's nothing written up there about using defensive spells."

"Using defensive spells?" Professor Umbridge repeated with a little laugh. "Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell, Miss Granger. You surely aren't expecting to be attacked during class?"

"We're also not going to learn about the Old Laws of Magic, as dictated by the treaty between Wizards, Witches and Creatures of the Old Religion Treaty." Colin added.

"Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr. -?"

"Morgan" Colin spat, thrusting his hand into the air.

Professor Umbridge, smiling still more widely, turned her back on him.

"Don't you turn your back on me." Colin felt a wave of anger and hatred towards the woman and jumped to his feet to glare at her.

"Mr. Morgan, I am the teacher in this classroom, and I am free to do as I wish."

"You are in a position of teaching to teach us the values of defensive magic, including the Laws that govern magic and the practical side to casting spells that aren't just transfiguration or charms." Colin snapped back. "You are here to prepare us for the world, and the world isn't all butterflies and kittens and rainbows. There are people who will want to hurt us. You are meant to prepare us for those people and to teach us how to look after ourselves."

"Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?" enquired Professor Umbridge in a horribly honeyed voice.

"The Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort for one." Colin glared at her. His voice had been growing louder and louder, but now it had leveled and was cold with hard anger, making the classmates listening shiver with shock that the new boy was so passionate and outspoken in his first day.

Everyone reacted to the name, but Colin only had eyes for Umbridge. She seemed shocked he had said the Dark Lord's name, but didn't seem shocked by it in general. Her eyes flickered to Harry for a split moment, and a flash of regret crossed her face, but it was gone and replaced with self satisfaction. "Mr Morgan, please come up here." She said, moving to sit at her desk.

"Now, let me make a few things quite plain." Professor Umbridge said, leaning forward over the desk, her stubby-fingered hands splayed outwards. "You have been told that a certain Dark wizard has returned from the dead -"

"He wasn't dead," said Harry angrily, "but yeah, he's returned!"

'"Mr-Potter-your-classmate-has-already-got-himself-detention-do-not-make-matters-worse-for-yourself-and-get-in-trouble-as-well," said Professor Umbridge in one breath without looking at him. "As I was saying, you have been informed that a certain Dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie."

Harry opened his mouth to continue arguing, but a muttered spell on Colin's part lead to him unable to open his mouth.

As he struggled to open his mouth, Colin sent him a glare that did nothing to settle the boy-who-lived down.

'Sit down and stay out from under her radar.' Colin sent to Harry, who sat down, staring at the boy with shock evident on his face.

"The Ministry of Magic guarantees that you are not in danger from any Dark wizard. If you are still worried, by all means come and see me outside class hours. If someone is alarming you with fibs about reborn Dark wizards, I would like to hear about it. I am here to help. I am your friend. And now, you will kindly continue your reading. Page five, 'Basics for Beginners'." Umbridge continued, finishing her note. She handed it to Colin who took it, glaring at her. "You have detention with me, Mr. Morgan, 5 o'clock, here every evening for the week."

Colin's eyes flashed with his suppressed anger. "So according to you and the Ministry a student, Cedric Diggory, dropped dead of natural causes? So according to you and the Ministry it's too dangerous to teach us defensive magic, because we might rebel and use it against you, using Voldemort as an excuse to learn and as an excuse to fight. If that is the kind of world we're going to be growing up into, one where the Ministry stunts children's growth due to fear of them being greater, and where the Ministry turns a blind eye to the danger to society because they're scared then I weep for us." Colin spat.

Umbridge glared at him, before gesturing to the note. "Take that to Professor McGonagall, dear," she smiled falsely sweet at him.  
Colin took it and left without another word. He shot Harry a look.

'Stay quiet and don't draw attention to yourself.' Colin sent him, removing the silencing charm.

Harry slumped in his chair and glared at the textbook.

**TBC**


	8. Chapter 8

**Here we go, next chapter! Yay!**

**I have to say thank you soooooo much to all of you who reviewed! That is; Pagen Godess, Guest, IndiaMoore, ArmyWife22079, Airtamis and Green Jean Girl, thank you, all of you, heaps and heaps :D**

**Chapter 8**

Sitting in McGonagall's office while she read the letter was surprisingly nerve wracking, even though Colin knew McGonagall would take his side, regardless of whatever punishment he had to face.

"Well?" said Professor McGonagall, rounding on him. "Is this true?"

"Is what true?" Colin asked, unsure what Umbridge had written.

"Is it true that you shouted at Professor Umbridge?"

"Yes," said Colin. "I also implied the Ministry was wrong and ignoring everything important that is going on."

"This is not a joke." McGonagall snapped. "You told her He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back?"

"Yes. It's the truth, and I know I should've kept quiet but I spoke up about the new teaching method, and then Harry was going to speak up. I had to stop him from drawing attention to himself." Colin explained.

"Misbehavior in Dolores Umbridge's class could cost you much more than house points and a detention. You need to be careful. You may be important, but you are a student here just like everyone else. You won't get special treatment."

"I know Professor, I need to be inside her classroom to set up wards that will tell me if she tries anything fishy against anyone. And I want to put a marker on her, so I can keep track of her. This class offered the opportunity, and I wanted to keep Harry out of as much trouble as possible." Colin shrugged.

"But in doing so you have come to the attention of her, and consequently the Ministry." McGonagall pointed out.

"I've come to their attention as a smart-mouthed, disruptive student. Not as a mysterious figure who may or may not be a threat. She didn't suspect me of anything, I am only a student she hates now"

The bell for the end of class rang. "You have detention every evening at 5 o'clock in her room. You can't get out of it." McGonagall told him, standing up and walking to her door.

"I know. I don't expect special treatment Professor. Okay, maybe a little if I'm caught sneaking at night, trying to do stuff for Dumbledore or protect the castle. But other than that, no special treatment at all." Colin told her.

"Very well. Tread carefully around Dolores Umbridge, Mr Morgan." McGonagall warned, opening the door for Colin to walk out.

"She should be careful around me." Colin grinned back over his shoulder.

* * *

The next day passed quietly. Colin made sure to keep quiet and keep his head down. He didn't try to make the spell work in transfiguration, as everyone else struggled. He made sure to only do as he was told in Charms and to keep suspicion off him. Despite the fact he had acted out willingly, to keep the attention away from Harry, he didn't want any more prying eyes focused on him. And there were several. Umbridge was one and Snape was another. And Harry was a third. Colin had avoided Harry after the incident in Umbridge's class, where he'd silences Harry with magic. Harry had been persistent in trying to corner Colin into explaining, and Colin had been determined to avoid the boy.

They were in their Care of Magical Creatures class, with the Slytherins, when Colin ran into Malfoy again.

"Look who it is! Potty and the idiot."

"Look, it's the egotistical prat." Colin responded, glaring at the blonde.

"Original much?"

"More than you, the idiot? You're the dollophead."

"That's not even a word."

"Is too."

"What's it mean?"

"In two words? Draco Malfoy."

"You're the clumsy coward."

"At least I can insult someone. You just fail at trying."

"Boys! ten points from both your houses." The teacher stepped in and broke them up. Colin fumed in silence as the teacher, Professor Grubby-Plank talked about woodlice and Bowtruckles." He followed Hermione into the group to sketch the creature.

They all took turns in trying to bribe it with food to stay still, with no success.

Colin listened to Harry whisper about what Malfoy had said to him.

"Dumbledore would know if something had happened to Hagrid," said Hermione at once. "It's just playing into Malfoy's hands to look worried; it tells him we don't know exactly what's going on. We've got to ignore him, Harry. Here, hold the Bowtruckle for a moment, just so I can draw its face…"

"It won't stay still." Ron grunted.

"Oh for christ's sake." Colin snapped, getting too frustrated with everything.

_'Hello?_' Colin sent to the Bowtruckle.

_'Hello/Who speaks?_'

_'My name is Colin. We're the humans holding you. I'm sorry for restraining you, but we need to draw a sketch of you, to learn from. Would you mind holding still for a few minutes, then you can return to your home and eat?'_

_'I've always wanted to be a model.'_

Colin let go of the Bowtruckle, just as the creature froze in a standing position.

"There you go. Draw her while Harry continues talking." Colin directed, drawing the creature on his pad.

"How did you do that?" Harry asked. "And how did you -"

"Not here. I'll explain later, in private." Colin cut him off, aware of Malfoy's attention on his back.

"Yes," came Malfoy's clear drawl from the group nearest them, as if proving the lack of privacy of the yard, "Father was talking to the Minister just a couple of days ago, you know, and it sounds as though the Ministry's really determined to crack down on sub-standard teaching in this place. So even if that overgrown moron does show up again, he'll probably be sent packing straightaway."

Harry's charcoal stick broke in two, as he gripped it extremely hard.

"If he calls Hagrid a moron one more time…" said Harry through gritted teeth.

"Harry, don't go picking a row with Malfoy, don't forget, he's a prefect now, he could make life difficult for you…"

"Wow, I wonder what it'd be like to have a difficult life?" said Harry sarcastically. Ron laughed, but Hermione frowned.

The bell rang, and Colin gently picked the Bowtruckle up and returned it to the Professor.

Together, they traipsed across the vegetable patch to Herbology. The sky still appeared unable to make up its mind whether it wanted to rain or not.  
Colin tuned out the conversation, as something began niggling at his senses. He slipped away from the others, and snuck into the forest. He began walking, the niggling growing stronger as he got closer. Kilgharrah appeared and began trotting along side him.

_'What is it Kil?'_

_'I do not know. I feel it too though.'_

Colin continued walking, until the niggling flared up into a roar in his head and then as sudden as it appeared, it disappeared.

"Well that was strange." Colin muttered, hearing the bell from the school and turning back to go to dinner.

* * *

In Umbridge's office that afternoon, after dinner, Colin stared in horror and disgust at the room. The surfaces had all been draped in lacy covers and cloths. There were several vases full of dried flowers, each one residing on its own doily, and on one of the walls was a collection of ornamental plates, each decorated with a large technicolor kitten wearing a different bow around its neck. These were so foul that Colin stared at them, transfixed, until Professor Umbridge spoke. "Good evening, Mr. Morgan."

"Evening, Professor Umbridge," Colin said stiffly.

"Well, sit down," she said, pointing towards a small table draped in lace beside which she had drawn up a straight-backed chair. A piece of blank parchment lay on the table, apparently waiting for him.

Colin sat down silently.

"There we go," said Umbridge sweetly, "You are going to be doing some lines for me, Mr. Morgan. No, not with your quill," she added, as Colin bent down to open his bag. "You're going to be using a rather special one of mine. Here you are."

She handed him a long, thin black quill with an unusually sharp point. "I want you to write, I must not tell lies," she told him softly.

"How many times?" Colin asked absentmindedly. His mind and magic were studying the black quill she had handed him. It radiated evil and magic and darkness.

"Oh, as long as it takes for the message to sink in," said Umbridge sweetly. "Off you go." She moved over to her desk, sat down and bent over a stack of parchment that looked like essays for marking.

Colin bit back a noise of disgust as he picked up the quill in his right hand, sensing the evil intent. He gritted his teeth and wrote on the paper without any ink.

_I must not tell lies._

The gasp of pain didn't escape his lips. The words on the parchment shined a deep red colour, as the quill cut into the back of his hand and used his blood as ink. The cut healed over in seconds, leaving the skin slightly red.

Colin glanced up at Umbridge from under his fringe, and glanced back down as he saw her watching him closely. Colin put the quill back in place and wrote,

_I must not tell lies_

His eyes flashed and the searing pain on the back of his hand faded into nothing.

_I must not tell lies_

The words still cut into his hand and healed, but the pain was muted and pushed away.

Colin continued writing lines, magic bubbling under skin in reaction to his anger. He was disgusted and horrified that the woman would actually force a student into scarring their hand with the quill. The anger didn't evaporate as the detention went on, instead it bubbled and grew.

Darkness fell outside Umbridge's window, but Colin refused to ask when he could stop. He wouldn't let her get the upperhand.

"Come here," she said, after what seemed hours. Colin stood up and walked up to her desk, offerring his hand to her, already knowing what she wanted.

"Tut, tut, I don't seem to have made much of an impression yet," she said, smiling. "Well, we'll just have to try again tomorrow evening, won't we? You may go."

Colin picked up his bag and left. He ran away from her door and stopped a few corridors over. He slumped against the wall, taking deep breaths to try and calm himself and his magic. When he had himself under control, he straightened and dumped his bag behind a suit of armour that turned it's head to watch him.

"I'll be back, please just keep quiet." Colin whispered to the suit, which nodded and turned it's head back to staring straight ahead.

Colin grinned at it briefly then crept off through the corridors.

**TBC**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hiya guys! So sorry about such a long delay betwene updates, but I'm currently extremely busy at school. The updates will now be around once a week, and for that, I am really sorry, but I will do my best to write interesting chapters :)**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, all of you :) It's wonderful to hear back from you all!**

**Enjoy**

**Chapter 9**

Colin knew he had to tear down the protective spells before building the new ones, but he also knew he had to map all of the castle walls first. He crept outside and walked around the building, one hand trailing on the stone and his magic running through his fingertips into the building. It took him a couple of hours to get all the way around, and by the time he finished, the sun was beginning to rise. He crept back inside and grabbed his backpack, winking at the suit of armour and turning to leave. He spun on his heel only to smack right into a black clad man. Colin stumbled backwards and looked up at the teacher. Professor Snape.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Colin grinned up at him. "Nothing, you're asleep and dreaming of all the things you would love to do to me."

"Who are you? You are no student, I felt your attempt at invading my mind." Snape growled, gripping Colin's arm.

"And I felt your attempt to get into mine." Colin spoke back, his face serious and calm. "I am not your enemy, Severus Snape, Professor McGonagall can vouch for me. My birth name is Colin Morgan, and I am a teenage boy, but the druids know me to be MyrddinEmrys. I am here to do what you are here to do. Stop the Dark Lord. Maybe for different personal reasons, but it is a common goal of ours."

Snape sneered, "I'm expected to just believe you to be the reincarnation of the great Merlin?"

"Not without proof." Colin let his magic wrap itself around Snape's head and the golden wisps melted through his defenses. He shoved his memory into the older man's mind.

* * *

_"He's just a boy."_

_"He is Emrys. His age does not matter. He is ready for the ceremony, and we will go through with it tomorrow."_

_"Twenty-year olds struggle to complete this ritual and you want to put an eight year old through it?"_

_"He can handle it."_

* * *

_The eight year old boy stood still as his mother knelt in front of him, painting the runes on his arms, chest and back._

_"Mum, will it hurt?" Colin whispered._

_"Yes, but you can handle it, you're brave, remember?"_

_"I don't want it to hurt."_

_"Me neither, my son, but you have to go through with it."_

* * *

_Colin stood in front of the flames and hesitated, even as the cloaked druid gestured from him to go through. The boy took a deep breath and stepped into the huge flames. The flames flickered at his skin, lighting his nerve endings on fire. He screamed for it to stop but it didn't. The pain grew as the flames attached to the runes and began burning the runes into his skin. Soon the flames were only burning his runes, marking his skin permanently._

_The eight year old's eyes flashed gold and the flames changed into a matching gold colour, the heat no longer burned him, but playfully licked and comforted the burns already there. The runes were still being branded into his skin, but it no longer hurt. The boy gasped as a rush of memories and knowledge rushed over him. Flashes of forests and armour and swords rushed into his memories. Sitting on a step with a blonde Prince, feeling the blonde King die in his arms, the joy and happiness, the belonging rushed back to him and Merlin remembered._

* * *

Colin withdrew from the man's head. "You decide for yourself if you believe me or not." Colin told him. "I'm here to do whatever is necessary to protect this castle and its students, and to find King Arthur Pendragon and Excalibur when the time calls for them to help the Dark Lord to be defeated."

"Why tell me?" Snape spoke quietly and quickly, "Surely you know that shouldn't be common knowledge, why share it with everyone you meet?"

"You are to play a major role in the upcoming events, Severus Snape. There are things you need to know." Colin told him.

"And you know this how?"

Colin opened his mouth to reply, but sensed someone coming. Moments later, Professor Umbridge walked around the corner and smiled sickly sweet at them. "What do we have here then?"

Snape didn't miss a beat, "Mr Morgan organised to meet with me early this morning for me to go over his potion making skills. Surely you are aware he was previously home-schooled? Well, he is spectacularly behind the rest of his class, and he wished to catch up."

"What is he behind in, exactly?" Umbridge demanded in her falsely sweet voice.

"What my student is struggling with and what we are working on is none of your, nor anyone else's business, Professor Umbridge, there is such a thing as subtly and privacy." Snape responded in his cold, grim voice.

"What is there to hide?"

"From what I understand, you've just began teaching here, so I suppose it is understandable that you would not know, but not everyone appreciates their weaknesses to be discussed openly when they've approached you individually and requested subtlety. Mr Morgan asked if it were possible for us to go over the things he is behind in, without the rest of the class, nor anyone else knowing that he is behind. So you see why I cannot just simply discuss it with you."

"What are you doing in this corridor? It is not near the dungeons, nor the Gryffindor common room." Umbridge demanded, her tone taking a less sweet and more demanding tone.

"Sorry professor Umbridge, but that is my fault. I got lost on my way down, and Professor Snape had to come find me." Colin spoke up, grinning sheepishly.

Umbridge seemed like she wanted to glare but after a second she smiled sickly at them. "Forgive me for delaying you, don't let me stop you, please, continue on your path." She gestured to the corridor, and Snape swept off down it. Colin followed closely, squishing the urge to set her bow on fire.

When they were well on their way to Snape's dungeon, Snape turned his head to talk.

Colin shook his head, "She's following." he whispered, then he added in a louder voice, "So, what level should I be up to, to be on par with the rest of the class?"

* * *

Colin was forced to go to Snape's office and spend an hour there with him, talking about potions and acting stupid while Umbridge hovered outside. When she eventually left, Colin slumped over and collapsed into a chair. The potion he had been 'learning' bubbled angrily as he was meant to be stirring continuously so he waved a hand and his eyes flashed gold, causing the spoon to keep stirring itself.

"I take it she left then?" Snape asked.

"Yep. Finally. Being near her magic is worse than being in the stocks for a week. Trust me. I know. Or well, I remember." Colin shrugged.

Snape didn't say anything for a moment. "Why did you tell me about your past?"

"There is a prophecy. One that not even Dumbledore knows. It will come to pass soon, and it must for the Dark Lord to be able to be stopped, and there are several people involved in it. I am here to ensure it happens."

Snape was silent after that for a while. Colin watched the potion stir itself, letting the older man soak all that he had told him in.

"Look, don't think about it. And don't change how you act and all that. Continue working for Dumbledore and all that. You'll play your part when the time comes, don't worry. Can I go now? Or do I actually have to finish this potion? It is rather boring."

* * *

Colin joined Harry and his friends at breakfast, not looking tired at all.

"I didn't hear you come in to the dorm last night." Harry told him.

"Umbridge's detention finished past midnight and then I got lost. I slept in the corridor, and then this morning a ghost found me and led me back to the Great Hall." Colin grinned sheepishly.

"Did you do any homework?" Hermione asked.

"No, but I'll manage." Colin shrugged.

* * *

In Transfiguration and all his classes for the rest of the day, Colin made sure to keep his level of ability with Ron's, aware by his disgruntled expression and tired face that he hadn't done any work either. He was acutely aware of Harry's eyes on him at all times, and was beginning to get a little annoyed.

During their dinner, Harry cornered Colin at the table.

"How did you do what you did in Defense against the dark arts the other day?" Harry demanded.

Ron and Hermione glanced at Harry and then at Colin expectantly.

"I've always been able to. It's something all druids can. We learn how as children."

"What?" Ron asked around a mouthful of food.

_'Talk telepathically_.' Colin sent with a grin on his face.

All three wizards (two wizards, one witch) stared in shock and surprise.

"You can read our minds?" Ron asked, swallowing his mouthful of food loudly.

"No." Colin denied vehemently. "I can't read minds, I can project my thoughts into yours, to let you hear what I am saying mentally."

"You stopped me from talking." Harry pointed out, a little annoyed.

"I know, and forgive me for that invasion of rights, but I had to stop you from antagonising Umbridge. You of all people need to stay under her radar, the ministry will be looking for an excuse to hate you." Colin explained.

"You're saying I have to stay under her radar, but what about you? You said Voldemort can't find out about you, yet here you are, drawing attention to yourself." Harry pointed out.

Colin grinned at Harry, "I'm a hypocrite. I'm aware of it and working on it." Ron and Hermione laughed, as Colin's grin grew.

Harry, despite his annoyance, laughed along with the group, the tension seemingly leaving the boy.

"How's detention with Umbridge, by the way?" Ron asked.

"Lines." Colin grimaced.

"So, boring but liveable?" Ron asked.

Colin pushed down his anger and magic at the 'boring' lines, and nodded in agreement. He knew they were going to have a lot on their minds, he didn't need to add to it. He would handle Umbridge, while Harry handled the struggle he was going to have against the world, against Voldemort and even against Dumbledore's secrecy.

"Boring and barely liveable, but oh well, I did yell at her in class." Colin shrugged, grinning at the trio.

**TBC**

**There we go! Hope you all liked it. Please review and let me know! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**So so so sorry for the late update, I said once a week, then completely missed last week! I'm so sorry! I got caught up in the last week of term, we had so much work to do and I just did not have any time. Please forgive me!**

**Thank you to all of you who reviewed, I really appreciate hearing back from you all, and it is encouraging to hear back from my readers and so I know what they think of my work so far.**

**Hopefully you all are enjoying the story and where it is going :) Review and let me know what you think.**

**Chapter 10**

Colin was aware that Umbridge had decided to turn her attention from Harry to him, and knew he had to remain under her radar, especially after the whole Snape incident. While Ron snuck around practicing his flying and keeping skills, while Hermione studied and knitted and while Harry avoided Dumbledore and tried not to be buried alive in homework, Colin was busy. He went to detention for the rest of the week and acted innocent, staying quiet and only doing what he was told. The week after, he snuck around the castle, mapping out the wards and marking them in his mind so he knew what to pull down before replacing them.

The next two weeks were spent designing new wards, ones that McGonagall, Dumbledore and Snape could put up themselves, so he wouldn't use his magic and draw Voldemort's attention. When these spells were finally created, mapped out and designed, he told Dumbledore, who called a meeting. Colin crept up the stairs to where he could hear Snape and McGonagall questioning Dumbledore, who was clearly not explaining anything.

"I do not understand why you would call us here and then not tell us why we're here." McGonagall sighed.

"We're waiting for another person, who is standing at the door. Come in." Dumbledore explained.

Colin entered and grinned at the other teachers. "Hi. You're here because I asked Dumbledore to ask you guys here. We need to fix the spells on the castle walls and protection wards, and I can't do it." Colin explained. "We need to get started too, so get comfortable."

"Wait, what?" McGonagall asked.

"Mr Morgan here is going to lead us through a weave spell that will strengthen the spells around the castle. You, Severus and I will reform the new wards which will be more effective." Dumbledore explained, settling back in his armchair and steepling his fingers under his chin.

"I've never participated in a weave spell." McGonagall pointed out.

"Don't worry, you don't need to know what to do. I'll lead you all through it. Just, start meditating, and I'll handle the rest." Colin sat down in an empty chair with his legs crossed under him. Snape sat back without a word and his eyes slid shut. Dumbledore was already meditating. McGonagall sighed and followed suit. Colin waited a few more minutes until all three adults had slowed their breathing down.

Colin shut his eyes and spread his magic out, attaching his mind to the probe so he was his magic, and he left his body 'sleeping'. He carefully drew Dumbledore out first, and then McGonagall. He turned to help Snape become his magic, but found the potions master already waiting.

_'What? How did you know to do this?'_ McGonagall's voice echoed in all four of their heads.

_'It's something we learn as druids. We send out magic out as a probe of sorts, and attach our conscious mind to it. Our magic keeps us connected to our bodies, and this way we're able to cast weave spells and no matter how many people are involved, all the magic is melded into one. That's how weaves work, they have a number of wizards and witches contributing their magic to strengthen the spell, but it only strengthens it if the magics are blended into one.'_ Colin explained. _'We're communicating telepathically, by the way, if you go to speak like you normally would, we'll hear it. If you have a strong reaction to something, unless you're guarding yourself, we'll feel and experience it as well.'_ Colin warned.

_'Are you going to stand here all night talking?'_ Kil appeared in his magic form, the cat shape surprising the professors.

_'Who, may I ask, are you?'_ Dumbledore asked the familiar.

_'My cat, who is going to stay here and watch over our bodies. Come on. I'll show you what to do and then spread you out over the castle.'_ Colin lead the teachers away.

After leaving Dumbledore at the gates and showing him what to do, Colin lead McGonagall to the west side of the castle and Snape to the east. He showed all of them what to do, and directed them to do so. Colin stayed watching as the three worked for a little while, but soon he felt the tingling sensation in the back of his head again. He traveled effortlessly away from the castle and into the forest, drifting along as the tingling got stronger.

When he was deep within the Forbidden Forest, the tingling stopped. Colin pressed forward until he reached a clearing, and sitting in the middle was a rock. And in that rock was a sword. Colin examined the hilt and laughed as he realised it was excalibur.

_'That is handy to know, but only King Arthur can pull it out, and the teachers here are nearly finished.'_ Kil's voice reminded Colin of what was happening back at the castle.

_'Right.'_

Colin sped back to the castle to help the three teachers finish the spell and meld it together. All the way back Colin was grinning. He may still need Arthur, but they also needed that sword. Knowing where it is was a step forward. A huge step.

* * *

The next day at breakfast and Colin couldn't help but yawn the whole time. His magic may help him go a couple of days without sleep but even that gave up after a while.

Harry commented on his lack of sleep, "So where were you last night?"

Colin studied Harry's suspicious face, Ron's curious one and Hermione's calculating one. "Doing something for a teacher. What's more interesting is what you guys been up to. Be aware that whenever someone communicates through floo powder, it sends a signal to whoever is in charge of security. That used to only be Dumbledore, but soon Umbridge will have that power as well." Colin warned them. "Did talking to him help?" Colin directed the question at Harry, who tried not to show his surprise at Colin knowing what had happened the other night.

Harry remained silent, as Hermione began talking, "It helped me, but I'm not so sure it helped Harry or Ron, they didn't really pay attention to his answers. It showed in their essay as well, I was proofreading it for them, and had to make them redo it." Hermione smiled at someone over Colin's shoulder, "Morning Professor Snape."

Snape sniffed and as Colin turned around, "Mr Morgan, I need to speak to your about your last essay, I expect to see you in my office at lunch." With that, Snape walked away.

"Sucks to be you." Ron laughed at the boy, who grinned at them and shrugged.

"At least it's not Umbridge." Colin shrugged. "Next time you want to talk to him, tell me because I can help." Colin told Harry, who nodded carefully, still looking suspicious though.

Colin remained silent for the rest of breakfast, eating while studying the Boy-Who-Lived. Colin knew that while Harry was his friend, the boy didn't trust him, and that was bad news. Colin mentally sighed and resigned himself to playing the part of a normal student for a while. It wasn't bad, not at all, he actually could be himself, but he knew what was approaching, and itched to be doing something to prepare for the battle, not sitting back and babysitting.

* * *

When he entered Snape's office at lunch, he found the man sitting at his desk, writing on a piece of parchment.

"I presume, since you know what is going to happen and what has to happen, that you would like to know the Dark Lord's orders?" Snape asked.

Colin grinned at the man, who stared back, "You read my mind, thank you, now I don't have to eavesdrop or spy on you."

* * *

During the period between the last class and dinner, Colin was walking with Harry to the Dining Hall, and noticed a red scratch on the back of his hand. Colin grabbed said hand and stared in shock at it. "When did you get detention with Umbridge?" Colin demanded.

"That Defense lesson you missed to talk to McGonagall." Harry muttered, snatching his hand back.

"He said You-Know-Who's name and lost his temper with Umbridge." Hermione added.

Colin scowled, "The fact she believes it is moral to use this kind of punishment on students for speaking their mind sickens me." He lowered his eyes and muttered a spell. His eyes flashed gold, although no one saw, and Harry's hand stopped throbbing with pain and the scratch faded into a faint scar. "I can't get rid of the scar," Colin told him, showing the boy his own hand where the scar was faint, "But I can heal it over. If it happens again, tell me, yeah?"

"Thanks." Harry muttered.

"Look, I can't figure you out. You got three weeks barely communicating with us, and then you're like our best bud, healing us and looking out for us. What's up?" Ron demanded, sounding surprisingly observant.

Colin glanced at their faces and looked around at the crowded hallway. "Is there somewhere more private nearby?"

Harry led them to an abandoned hallway and the three turned to Colin expectantly.

"I can't tell you everything. Know that to begin with. Some things I swore I would not repeat and I will not break that promise, and other things it is best no one knows otherwise it won't work, but I will tell you what I can. The Dark Lord is back, and getting stronger. When he arranged it to bring himself back to life, it shifted the balance of the world and of magic, and the world is slowly falling into chaos. our magic will grow weaker, the environment will deteriorate, so many things are going to happen if the balance isn't fixed. This shift in balance caused the Old Religion, the origins of magic, to retaliate, to set things in motion so that the balance can be fixed. This has happened before in the history of the world, in medieval times, and it is happening again. I have been working for the Old Religion, in working towards righting that imbalance, and that means I have to do several things. One of these things is to help you, Harry, defeat the Dark Lord. That means, protecting you and helping you do what you have to do. Another thing I must do is protect this school and its students. I told you at the start of the year that I am here to help right the imbalance, and that is true, but there is more to it them me choosing to help. There have been prophecies and plans made, and while I cannot tell you them, you have to be aware of them."

The three stared at Colin.

Harry shared a look with his friends and then offered the boy his hand, "I know I welcomed you at the start of the year, but we didn't really trust you entirely. We didn't know you, and I hope you aren't offended by that, but that's changed now. I believe you're here to help and do all you said, and I will do all I can to help you." Colin gripped his hand and they shook once. "I have to ask, what prophecies?"

"That is something I swore I would not share, it is not up to me to decide to tell you or not. Sorry." Colin shrugged. "Now, let's go to dinner."

* * *

Umbridge began inspecting classes and teachers, having been made the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts, and Colin began turning up to every lesson, paying attention and doing the homework. The school was as protected as it could be, without him using his own magic and drawing Voldemort's attention to him and that was all he could do at the moment. He was aware of what was going to happen towards the end of this school year, and was aware that Harry had to go through it and was desperately trying to stay out of it, and act like the fifteen-year-old-Colin, not the Colin-who-was-Merlin's-reincarnation.

It was refreshing.

And frustrating.

Extremely frustrating.

**TBC**


	11. Chapter 11

**Here we go :) Next chapter, a little early to make up for the missed update last week.**

**Thank you to H20Sorceress, IndiaMoore and Nebriniel Peredhil for reviewing the last chapter :)**

**Enjoy this chapter, hopefully :D and review to let me know what you think.**

**Chapter 11**

* * *

Colin knew Hermione's idea of teaching themselves defensive spells, and decided it was an excellent idea, as long as they weren't caught. The teenagers were to play a huge role in the upcoming events, and none of the adults in the know were sharing their knowledge to prepare them all. He approved of it, but it didn't mean he was going to teach them spells.

"Harry will come around and be the primary teacher, but you could teach us things no one else knows, because of your background." Hermione was pleading.

She had already asked Harry who had said he'd think about it, and now she was asking him.

"No, I've already shared things with you I shouldn't have, but I did anyway. I am not teaching a group of teenagers spells and chants that only druids know."

"Why not? I understand keeping your community's secrets, but we need to be prepared for, for Voldemort, and this will help." Hermione forced the name out, her voice a little more than a whisper as they sat in the common room after dinner.

"No. There is a reason druids keep themselves apart from everyone else, and don't teach outsiders their spells. A lot of the spells we know are dangerous if used incorrectly or exploited. Druid teachings prevent druids from using them inappropriately, but we cannot know that outsiders will or will not do the same. I will do all I can to help teach, but I won't teach any druid spells, so I'll be learning the spells off Harry just as much as everyone else, if not more so."

Hermione's face fell and she turned back to her knitting with a disappointed look on her face.

"I am sorry, Hermione." Colin added, aware she was trying to make him feel guilty and while he felt bad for denying her, he wasn't going to budge. Who knew what damage a bunch of teenagers could do with druidic spells that only the masters, after years of training, knew?

* * *

It was after Colin's first ever quidditch match that the boy was introduced to the teacher the trio missed the most. Hagrid.

He'd kept silent while Harry and Ron wallowed in their misery, but spoke up when Hermione pointed the hut had smoke and light coming from it.

"Be careful going down there." Colin warned.

"We will." Hermione reassured him, as the other two boys raced up to their dorm to grab clothes to go out. Hermione ran up to her room as well. He stayed in the room, reading a book, while the three regrouped and left. He waited another moment, then put the book down. He settled back into the chair and shut his eyes, slowing his breathing down. He cast his mind out and began to scry.

His magic took no time in locating the signature of Arthur's life, despite the chances of it being nearby or not. He zoned in on it, and was surprised to find it in the castle, the reincarnated King was in Hogwarts and asleep. And dreaming.

_Watching their figures, it wasn't the first time he wished they would acknowledge his presence, but he knew they couldn't, and it was their fault. He would make them pay, he would make all of them pay for what they've done to him and his family._

A slam woke up Colin from his trance and he looked out the window to see what had happened. An owl was hovering outside the window, fighting the wind to stay at the window. Colin opened the glass and let the bird in. The bird, a tawny owl, held it's leg out to reveal a letter. Colin took it and opened it eagerly, recognising the handwriting.

_Colin,_

_I am sorry for not writing early my son, but the skies have been unflyable until now._

_I do hope all is going well, and that you are keeping up with your grades, and not making trouble. I do hope you've made lots of friends and are settling in well._

_I think of you often, the farm is rather quiet without the crashes from your clumsiness. I miss your smile and laughter keeping me company and I love you._

_Continue working hard my son, and remember I'll always love you._

_Hunith._

_xxx_

Colin gripped the letter tightly and let out a sigh, relief coursing through him. He had been trying to not think about his mother, and lack of word, and so hadn't realised his growing worry over her safety.

He grabbed a piece of paper and quill and quickly wrote a reply.

_Mother,_

_It was relieving and wonderful to hear from you, I had worried about your lack of word, and hoped you would send word soon._

_School is different but good. I struggled in the beginning to catch up in my teachings to everyone else and to improve at the same speed, but now I have the hang of it, it is very different to home-schooling. I've made three good friends, and several other ones. You'd like them. One is the smartest girl in our class, and she is fierce. She reminds me of you when you are standing up for what you believe in. The other two are boys, and both remind me of Will, in different ways. One is a joker like him, never taking things seriously, but he is loyal to his friends. The other is serious but brave. And he is, well there is only one way to describe it and that is heroic, almost. You'd love them all._

_I am missing you heaps, I am enjoying school, but the only downside is not seeing you or the farm all the time._

_Tell Will I thought of him, and tell him I am sorry for no letter, but I want to send this back while the owl can fly through your skies._

_I love you_

_Colin._

He rolled it up and attached it to the owl's leg. He fed him some of the biscuit he had with him, then carried him back to the window. "Fly swiftly and safely." Colin whispered, as the bird took off into the sky.

* * *

The next day was their first Care of Magical Creatures class with the mysterious Hagrid. Colin followed the trio down to Hagrid's hut, where a massive man was waiting. He stood twice the height of a normal man, and was massive. His beard covered his lower face, and his upper face was covered in bruises and cuts. But he was smiling, and waiting beside a dead cow, watching as the class approached.

"So that's Hagrid?" Colin muttered to Hermione, "Is he OK? Because some of those cuts look dangerous."

"He said he was fine, but they look nasty." Hermione muttered back.

"We're workin' in here today!" Hagrid called happily to the approaching students, jerking his head back at the dark trees behind him. "Bit more sheltered! Anyway, they prefer the dark."

"What prefers the dark?" Colin heard Malfoy ask his friends. He was surprised to hear a trace of panic in the Slytherin's voice and was strangely pleased.

"Ready?" said Hagrid cheerfully, looking around at the class. "Right, well, I've bin savin' a trip inter the Forest fer yer fifth year. Thought we'd go an' see these creatures in their natural habitat. Now, what we're studyin' today is pretty rare, I reckon I'm probably the on'y person in Britain who's managed ter train 'em."

"And you're sure they're trained, are you?" said Malfoy, the panic in his voice even more pronounced. "Only it wouldn't be the first time you'd brought wild stuff to class, would it?"

The Slytherins murmured agreement and a few Gryffindors looked as though they thought Malfoy had a fair point, too. Colin frowned at this and wondered just what they'd faced with this teacher.

"Course they're trained," said Hagrid, scowling and hoisting the dead cow a little higher on his shoulder.

"So what happened to your face, then?" demanded Malfoy.

"Mind yer own business!" said Hagrid, angrily. "Now, if yeh've finished askin' stupid questions, follow me!"

He turned and strode straight into the Forest. Nobody seemed much disposed to follow. Harry glanced at Ron and Hermione, who sighed but nodded, and the three of them set off after Hagrid, leading the rest of the class. Colin tagged along, a little confused and a little amused.

They walked for about ten minutes until they reached a place where the trees stood so closely together that it was as dark as twilight and there was no snow at all on the ground. With a grunt, Hagrid deposited his half a cow on the ground, stepped back and turned to face his class, most of whom were creeping from tree to tree towards him, peering around nervously as though expecting to be set upon at any moment.

"Gather roun', gather roun'," Hagrid encouraged. "Now, they'll be attracted by the smell o' the meat but I'm goin' ter give 'em a call anyway, 'cause they'll like ter know it's me." He turned, shook his shaggy head to get the hair out of his face and gave an odd, shrieking cry that echoed through the dark trees like the call of some monstrous bird. Colin grinned as he recognised the sound and knew what the man was calling.

Hagrid gave the shrieking cry again. A minute passed in which the class continued to peer nervously over their shoulders and around trees for a first glimpse of whatever it was that was coming. And then, as Hagrid shook his hair back for a third time and expanded his enormous chest, Colin felt Harry nudging Ron and knew that the boy had seen what he had seen between two gnarled yew trees. A pair of blank, white, shining eyes were growing larger through the gloom and a moment later the dragonish face, neck and then skeletal body of a great, black, winged horse emerged from the darkness. It surveyed the class for a few seconds, swishing its long black tail, then bowed its head and began to tear flesh from the dead cow with its pointed fangs.

Colin glanced at Harry who looked relieved and then at the rest of the class who didn't seem to be able to see them either. Except for two others, Neville and a Slytherin boy.

"Oh, an' here comes another one!" said Hagrid proudly, as a second black horse appeared out of the dark trees, folded its leathery wings closer to its body and dipped its head to gorge on the meat. "Now… put yer hands up, who can see 'em?"

Harry raised his hand, as did Colin. Hagrid nodded at him. "Yeah… yeah, I knew you'd be able ter, Harry," he said seriously. "An' you too, Neville, eh? An' you, sor'y, I dun't know yur name?"

"Colin Morgan, I'm new this year."

"Ah, you can too? Eh, and -"

"Excuse me," said Malfoy in a sneering voice, "but what exactly are we supposed to be seeing?"

For an answer, Hagrid pointed at the cow carcass on the ground. The whole class stared at it for a few seconds, then several people gasped and Parvati squealed. Colin assumed that bits of flesh stripping themselves away from the bones and vanishing into thin air had to look very odd indeed.

"What's doing it?" Parvati demanded in a terrified voice, retreating behind the nearest tree. "What's eating it?"

"Thestrals," said Hagrid proudly and Hermione gave a soft "Oh!" of comprehension at Harry's shoulder. "Hogwarts has got a whole herd of 'em in here. Now, who knows -?"

"But they're really, really unlucky!" interrupted Parvati, looking alarmed. "They're supposed to bring all sorts of horrible misfortune on people who see them. Professor Trelawney told me once-"

"No, no, no," said Hagrid, chuckling, "tha's jus' superstition, that is, they aren' unlucky, they're dead clever an' useful! Course, this lot don' get a lot o' work, it's mainly jus' pullin' the school carriages unless Dumbledore's takin' a long journey an' don' want ter Apparate - an' here's another couple, look -"

Two more horses came quietly out of the trees, one of them passing very close to Parvati, who shivered and pressed herself closer to the tree, saying, "I think I felt something, I think it's near me!"

"They won't hurt you." Colin told her. "They're actually rather gentle unless threatened."

"Don' worry, it won' hurt yen," said Hagrid spoke over Colin. "Righ', now, who can tell me why some o' yeh can see 'em an' some can't?"

Hermione raised her hand.

"Go on then," said Hagrid, beaming at her.

"The only people who can see Thestrals," she said, "are people who have seen death."

"Tha's exactly right," said Hagrid solemnly, "ten points ter Gryffindor. Now, Thestrals -"

"Hem, hem."

Professor Umbridge had arrived. She was standing a few feet away from Harry, wearing her green hat and cloak again, her clipboard at the ready. Hagrid, who had never heard Umbridge's fake cough before, was gazing in some concern at the closest Thestral, evidently under the impression that it had made the sound.

"Hem, hem."

"Oh, hello!" Hagrid said, smiling, having located the source of the noise.

"You received the note I sent to your cabin this morning?" said Umbridge, in the same loud, slow voice she had used with him earlier, as though she were addressing somebody both foreign and very slow. "Telling you that I would be inspecting your lesson?"

"Oh, yeah," said Hagrid brightly. "Glad yeh found the place all righ'! Well, as you can see - or, I dunno - can you? We're doin' Thestrals today -"

"I'm sorry?" said Professor Umbridge loudly, cupping her hand around her ear and frowning. "What did you say?"

Hagrid looked a little confused.

"Er - Thestrals!" he said loudly. "Big - er - winged horses, yeh know!"

He flapped his gigantic arms hopefully. Professor Umbridge raised her eyebrows at him and muttered as she made a note on her clipboard: "Has… to… resort… to… crude… sign… language."

"Well… anyway…" said Hagrid, turning back to the class and looking slightly flustered, "erm… what was I sayin'?"

"Appears… to… have… poor… short… term… memory," muttered Umbridge, loudly enough for everyone to hear her. Draco Malfoy looked as though Christmas had come a month early; Hermione, on the other hand, had turned scarlet with suppressed rage.

"Oh, yeah," said Hagrid, throwing an uneasy glance at Umbridge's clipboard, but ploughing on valiantly. "Yeah, I was gonna tell yeh how come we got a herd. Yeah, so, we started off with a male an' five females. This one," he patted the fir st horse to have appeared, "name o' Tenebrus, he's my special favorite, firs' one born here in the Forest -"

"Are you aware," Umbridge said loudly, interrupting him, "that the Ministry of Magic has classified Thestrals as 'dangerous'?"

Hagrid merely chuckled, despite the fact that even Colin could tell this was the wrong response.

"Thestrals aren' dangerous! All righ', they might take a bite outta yeh if yeh really annoy them -"

"Shows… signs… of… pleasure… at… idea… of… violence," muttered Umbridge, scribbling on her clipboard again.

"No - come on!" said Hagrid, looking a little anxious now. "I mean, a dog'll bite if yeh bait it, won' it - but Thestrals have jus' got a bad reputation because o' the death thing - people used ter think they were bad omens, didn' they? Jus' didn' understand, did they?"

Umbridge did not answer; she finished writing her last note, then looked up at Hagrid and said, again very loudly and slowly, "Please continue teaching as usual. I am going to walk," she mimed walking (Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson were having silent fits of laughter) "among the students" (she pointed around at individual members of the class) "and ask them questions." She pointed at her mouth to indicate talking.

Colin suppressed his anger towards the woman and turned his attention to the Thestrals. He stepped forward towards them and all of them looked up and watched him.

"Ah, I wouldn't do tha'." Hagrid warned, stepping foward to stop Colin.

The Thestral took a step forward, and butted it's head against Colin's chest. Colin grinned and ran gentle fingers over it's head and down it's side.

"You're beautiful." Colin whispered to the creature, still stroking.

Colin glanced up at the class only to find them all staring, including Hagrid and Umbridge.

"I think yeh sh'uld move 'way." Hagrid stepped forward to pull Colin back. "They ain't dangerous, but they migh' bite if yeh accidently knock 'em the wrong way."

The thestral snapped at Hagrid's hand that came close to Colin and Hagrid pulled away, extremely confused.

"Sorry, I lived out in in a forest with my mum, we had lots of different animals and creatures around us. There was a herd that lived near us. I used to spend hours out with them, when I was younger." Colin explained, stepping away from the creature and pushing it's nose back towards the meat. It turned back to eating.

"Righ'." Hagrid seemed to be at a loss for words, but shrugged it off.

Umbridge also recovered and continued walking around the class, asking questions loudly and degrading Hagrid. Colin glared daggers at the woman the entire time.

**TBC**


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you to 'everyone for reviewing! :D hopefully you enjoy this chapter as well :)**

**Enjoy, and review to let me know your thoughts.**

**Chapter 12**

* * *

School grew busier as Christmas approached, the teachers loading homework on the students until they were buried. Hermione and Ron's prefect duties increased as well, and Colin and Harry would often sit up waiting for them to return from their duties, late into the night, doing homework or playing card games or just talking.

Colin was surprised to be invited back to Ron's place along with Harry, but accepted it gratefully.

"Mum wrote and said to invite you and Harry. She hasn't met you, so I don't know how she knew about you, but I don't care, of course you're welcome to come as well." Ron shrugged.

Colin had grinned and thanked him.

* * *

A week before the holidays, Colin was woken up by Kil digging his claws into his arm.

"Ow!" Colin hissed.

_'There's something wrong with Harry, aren't you meant to be protecting him or something?' _Kil hissed.

Colin glanced at Harry sleeping peacefully in his bed. Colin frowned, and cast his magic out, settling it over the boy for a moment. He gasped and jerked away when he felt an icy-cold dark magic pulsing from the boy.

"Shit." Colin muttered, before throwing himself back and shutting his eyes. His magic slipped into Harry's mind and Colin was shown an image of a corridor and a snake. Colin followed the snake, sensing the feel of Harry from the animal, along with the dark magic radiating from the creature. Colin watched and followed, as the snake reared back and jerked forward. The snake struck a man, who had been lying under an invisibility cloak.

"Shit." Colin swore yet again and threw himself back into his body, just as he heard Harry sit up and retch, throwing up his dinner to the side of the bed. Neville left to find McGonagall,

Colin didn't hang around for her to return. He ran downstairs, under the pretense of getting help as well, and halfway down his eyes flashed gold. His body shimmered then disappeared. He reappeared in the corridor, still running in the direction of the man. Colin crouched at the red-headed man, recognising Ron in his features.

Colin grabbed the cloak and stuffed it under his arm, before gripping Mr Weasley's arm and disappearing again.

He reappeared in Dumbledore's office, with Ron, Harry and McGonagall standing there. Harry was explaining to Dumbledore, frustrated that no one believed him.

Ron let out a shout, McGonagall jerked backwards, Harry jumped a little, but focused on Mr Weasley and Dumbledore didn't even blink.

Colin chucked the cloak to Dumbledore and knelt next to the injured man.

"**Fawkes, os gwelwch yn dda gwella y dyn, mae'n haeddu eich rhodd werthfawr o fywyd**." Colin hissed. The pheonix squawked and jumped from his perch, floating over to perch on Colin's outstretched arm. The bird tilted his head and a few tears dropped onto the wound. It landed on the bloody wound and bubbled up, before healing the wound. It took a few more tears, but soon the wound was healed over.

"Now comes the unpleasant part." Colin muttered, as Ron moved forward. Colin blinked at him, his eyes flashing gold, "Stay back for this bit." Colin muttered, before turning back to Mr Weasley. His eyes flashed gold again, and Mr Weasley began convulsing.

"Dad!"

The man sat upright, eyes opening as he gasped. He then turned and vomited up black bile, which bubbled on the floor for a few moments before calming down.

Dumbledore calmly waved his wand, removing the venom from the snake.

Ron ran forward and dropped to his dad's side. "Dad, are you OK?"

Colin moved away, as McGonagall knelt down as well.

"Mr Morgan," Dumbledore said quietly, "Thank you."

"There was no sign of the snake when I got to him." Colin informed Dumbledore. "And I didn't have time to set up any wards, until you could repost some guards."

"I'll send word to send a new guard." Dumbledore nodded.

"I'll go back to bed, calm down the dorm and tell them Harry isn't well. I'll tell them Ron is going to stay with him." Colin explained, before leaving.

"Young man!" Mr Weasley called out, looking dazed, confused and weak. "Thank you, I don't know what you did, but you saved me."

"Harry was the one who sounded the alert, thank Harry." Colin gestured to the boy, before leaving.

* * *

Word got around that Harry was sick over a nightmare and the Slytherins teased him about it, but they all ignored it. Ron and his siblings got permission to go home early, as Mr Weasley was weak and sick, despite being healed and having the venom removed from his body.

At the end of school, Harry and Colin took the train out to King's Cross and an auror was there waiting for them.

"Sturgis!" Colin grinned, recognising the man.

"Colin, how are you?"

"I'm good, how are you?" Colin asked.

"Busy with work. Your mother says hello." Sturgis Podmore grinned at the suddenly cheerful boy.

"Thank you." The boy said, relief evident in his face and tone.

"How are you Mr Potter? I'm Sturgis Podmore, I don't think we've been introduced." Sturgis offered his hand to the boy-who-lived.

"Pleasure to meet you." Harry smiled politely.

"I'm here to take you to where the Weasley's are staying. So, we'll be on out way, if that's OK with you two? It's been decided that you guys won't head back to the Burrow, but stay elsewhere, as Mr Weasley is still recovering."

"Yep." Colin answered for the pair of boys.

* * *

They soon arrived at 12 Grimmauld Place and they walked in quietly (Dumbledore had told Colin earlier about the house). They managed to sneak into the dining room, past the covered portraits without making a noise.

"Podmore." Mad-Eye Moody was sitting at the table. Mrs Weasley, Mr Weasley, Ron, Fred, George, Ginny and Sirius were sitting there as well.

"Sir, no problems picking them up. If that's all, I've got guard duty in half an hour."

"Very well." Moody nodded. Sturgis left, after clapping Colin on the shoulder breifly in farewell. "I've got a jbo to do, Arthur, Molly, see you at the meeting tomorrow." Moody got to his feet and left abruptly.

The teenagers didn't even pay any attention to all of this.

"Harry!" Fred and George grinned, speaking at once.

"Hey." Ron grinned. Ginny waved.

"Hey guys." Harry grinned, moving to sit next to them. Colin left his suitcase by the door, but let his cat out of the carrier. Kil jumped down and jumped up onto the table, stalking up and down, checking everyone out.

"Guys, this is Colin Morgan." Harry introduced, as Colin waved. "You know Ginny, Fred and George, these are their parents, Arthur and Molly Weasley, and my godfather, Sirius Black."

"I still don't know if this is a good idea." Sirius muttered.

"Oh golly gosh, Sirius Black, you're a wanted criminal, ahh, where's an auror?" Colin cried in a flat tone.

Everyone stared at him with guarded expressions, until Colin's serious face split and he grinned, "I'm joking, seriously, he's not exactly guilty of the crimes that put him in prison to begin with, now is he?"

"So you're the reason I still have my husband here and healthy." Mrs Weasley smiled, getting to her feet.

"I didn't do much, Harry was the one who raised the alarm." Colin protested.

"And you apparated to get me, and back to Hogwarts and healed me." Mr Weasley added.

"It's interesting that you managed all that." Sirius frowned, studying the boy.

"I don't care." Mrs Weasley pulled the boy in for a hug, squeezing him gratefully. "Thank you." She told him.

"I don't need a thanks, I could do something to save his life, and I did it, that was all." Colin shrugged, smiling shyly at the woman as she let go of him. He turned to Mr Weasley and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Weak, and I get dizzy all the time, but it's to be expected. I can't keep much down in terms of food, but I'm getting better, all thanks to you." Mr Weasley did look pale and weak, but his cheerful face belied the illness.

"That's good." Colin grinned.

"Come on, sit down and tell us what happened in the last week of term, did Umbridge do anything?" Fred asked.

Colin and Harry sat down and Harry began talking, describing the incident with Malfoy tripping over nothing and falling down the stairs. Colin just smirked knowingly as they speculated over what tripped the Slytherin over.

* * *

Colin watched as Harry asked Sirius for a quick word, towards the end of the meal that night at dinner. He frowned, he figured the boy would be scared about being possessed or something, given the fact he had seen it all from the snake's point of view, but he was also aware it was not his place to say anything. Not yet, at least.

He listened as the Weasley's all argued about some muggle object, Mr Weasley being the loudest and grinned as the noise drew him from his thoughts and worries. He could do nothing about anything yet, the storm was coming, but it was not yet his time to stand in the way of it.

* * *

The next night, everyone was sent to their rooms for the Order to have their meeting in private. Colin, Harry and Ron left their room ten minutes after Mrs Weasley had checked on them, only to find George, Fred and Ginny already on the landing, with a string dangling down.

"We figured out how to break Mum's spell." Fred whispered, handing an end of the wriggling string to the three of them. They all followed the twins' lead, listening to the string.

"… they searched the whole area but couldn't find the snake anywhere. It just seems to have vanished after it attacked you, Arthur… but You-Know-Who can't have expected a snake to get in, can he?" Tonks was saying. Colin grinned at the twins, surprised the invention worked so well.

"I reckon he sent it as a lookout," growled Moody, "cause he's not had any luck so far, has he? No, I reckon he's trying to get a clearer picture of what he's facing and if Arthur hadn't been there the beast would've had a lot more time to look around. So, Potter says he saw it all happen?"

"Yes," said Mrs. Weasley. She sounded rather uneasy. "You know, Dumbledore seems almost to have been waiting for Harry to see something like this."

"Yeah, well," said Moody, "there's something funny about the Potter kid, we all know that." "Dumbledore seemed worried about Harry when I spoke to him this morning," whispered Mrs Weasley.

"Course he's worried," growled Moody. "The boy's seeing things from inside You-Know-Who's snake. Obviously, Potter doesn't realize what that means, but if You-Know-Who's possessing him —"

All of them pulled the strings out, and stared at Harry, who looked terrified.

"They're wrong." Colin whispered, "Harry, stop, breath, I am telling you, they are wrong."

Harry turned to stare at Colin, "How do you know? I was the snake. I wanted to kill and I had fangs." He whispered.

"And I am telling you, you are not possessed. Voldemort has a bond with his snake, and they are one in mind almost. You've seen into Voldemort's head before, felt what he has felt and had visions before, have you not?"

"Yes, but -"

"No buts, they're wrong. You were seeing into Voldermort's head, when he was in his snake's head. You saved Arthur Weasley, you didn't attack him." Colin and Harry locked eyes, Harry looked terrified while Colin looked angry. "The fact that they would believe that shows they're not even remotely ready to fight him." Colin muttered to himself, before nodding once. "I need to sleep." Colin announced, all of a sudden. With that, he walked back into his room.

The rest of the kids stared at the boy like he was crazy.

"Harry, if he says you weren't possessed mate, then I believe him." Ron said.

"I know an easy way to tell," Ginny spoke up, "Have you had blackouts? Have you had moments where you can't remember what you did or how you got there?"

"No." Harry answered.

"Then he hasn't possessed you. I should know." Ginny declared.

"Right." Harry remembered, and grinned weakly at the girl.

"Well, I'm not going to bed, not when this is getting interesting, anyone else staying?" Fred asked, putting the Extendable Ear back in his ear. Everyone agreed, but when they all tried to listen again, there was no noise.

"They stopped working!" Ginny wailed.

The dining room door opened, and the kids scrambled back to their rooms.

They were all in bed 'sleeping' when Mrs Weasley came to check on them.

Colin laid awake the whole night, thinking.

_'Why are you stressing over this, young warlock?'_ Kil asked, jumping onto the boy's bed and curling up on the pillow.

_'They're going to find out the prophecy soon enough. We need Arthur to defeat Voldemort, we need Harry to be ready, we need me to be ready. How am I meant to do all these things? And I've got to handle Umbridge, the way she is treating the students is horrible, and I can't wait to make her pay, but how am I meant to do all of these things without giving myself away? I can't use my magic, not properly, or Voldemort will know. I can't wake Arthur up without it. I don't even know who he is, just that he is in the castle and he wants revenge for his parents. That really narrows it down.'_ Colin explained, turning on his side to stare at his cat.

_'It'll all work out. Enjoy christmas while you can.'_ the cat told him, _'Things are going to get hectic, enjoy the break. Nothing will happen.'_

_'Thank you._' Colin muttered, softly stroking the cat's side.

**TBC**


	13. Chapter 13

**I am so sorry for this delay, I meant to finish the chapter before the end of holidays, but things got so hectic for me. This will most likely be the last chapter until after my exams for school, and if not, there will only be one more before I stop for a few weeks. My exams are start of november until mid-november, so I will start updating regularly again then. I am so sorry, once again, and I apologise for the wait that you will have to experience.**

**Thank you to everyone who reveiwed chapter 12! your comments all make me smile :) A few people have had a go at guessing who is Arthur, but I'm not going to deny or confirm any guess, I don't want to give it away :)**

**Enjoy, and please review!**

**Chapter 13**

* * *

Colin was aware that Harry was now having occlumency lessons with professor Snape, and he was aware of Hermione's plan to get Harry's story published in the Quibbler. He was aware of the increasingly more strict rules Umbridge was enforcing and the increased number of students with bleeding hands. He was aware that Voldemort was planning something and he was aware of the increased dreams and visions Harry was getting. He was aware of it all.

And he could do nothing.

Nothing at all and it frustrated him.

What he could do, other than keep up appearances of a normal teenager was search the school, student by student, for signs of one of them being Arthur. And that was as hopeless as it sounded, because there was no guarantee that the student would be showing signs of Arthur's memories, soul, life, whatever you wanted to call it. at that particular moment Colin was looking.

In other words, Colin could do nothing. Nothing at all.

Except make life hell for one Dolores Umbridge.

He met with Fred and George one day, and suggested to them his ideas, and the three of them soon became close buddies. The twins would plan the pranks, and Colin would pull them off, using his unusual magic to get away with it. Her food would be stone cold at meals, no matter how fresh, and only for her, if someone else ate it, it would be pleasantly warm.

The words 'We will tell lies' were scratched into the wall overnight, and no matter what anyone did, nothing would remove them. She couldn't blame anyone either, there was no sign of anyone ever stepping foot in her office, none of her protective spells were disturbed.

Filch began sleeping outside her room, but could not catch whoever was entering her office. The mysterious criminal somehow charmed dogs into all the plates and pictures of cats on her walls. The poor caretaker insisted he saw an old man hobbling away one morning, but when he chased after him, he had disappeared. Considering the only old man who fit the description was Dumbledore, everyone believed him to be dreaming, a fact which was encouraged by three pranksters.

One morning everyone was at breakfast, eating. Colin was sitting with Hermione, opposite Ron and Harry, surprisingly well rested as he hadn't done any pranks the night before. Colin wasn't paying attention to the world though, just his porridge, but glanced up when an owl landed on his drink, knocking it over. There were several owls hanging around Harry, who was staring in shock.

"I think I know what this is about!" Hermione grinned, "Open the first one!" HArry opened it to reveal the Quibbler, with a picture of himself on the front, with the title:

SPEAKS OUT AT LAST: THE TRUTH ABOUT HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED AND THE NIGHT I SAW HIM RETURN

"The rest of the mail are from readers." Luna appeared out of nowhere. "Daddy sent you the first copy for free. They were printed this morning."

"Do you mind us reading them?" Ron asked, gesturing to the letters.

"Yeah sure," Harry nodded, opening one near him.

Colin, Ron, Fred and Hermione joined it, opening the letters enthusiastically.

"This one's from a bloke who thinks you're off your rocker," Colin announced, glancing down his letter.

"This woman recommends you try a good course of Shock Spells at St. Mungo's," said Hermione, looking disappointed and crumpling up a second.

"This one looks okay, though," said Harry slowly, scanning a long letter from a witch in Paisley. "Hey, she says she believes me!"

"This one's in two minds," said Fred, who had joined in the letter-opening with enthusiasm. "Says you don't come across as a mad person, but he really doesn't want to believe You-Know-Who's back so he doesn't know what to think now. Blimey, what a waste of parchment." Fred crumpled it up and threw it over his shoulder.

"Here's another one you've convinced, Harry!" said Hermione excitedly. "Having read your side of the story, I am forced to the conclusion that the Daily Prophet has treated you very unfairly…little though I want to think that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned, I am forced to accept that you are telling the truth… Oh, this is wonderful!"

"Another one who thinks you're barking," said Ron, throwing a crumpled letter over his shoulder "… but this one says you've got her converted and she now thinks you're a real hero - she's putin a photograph, too - wow!"

"What is going on here?" said a falsely sweet, girlish voice.

Harry looked up with his hands full of envelopes. Professor Umbridge was standing behind Fred and Luna, her bulging toad's eyes scanning the mess of owls and letters on the table in front of Harry. Behind her he saw many of the students watching them avidly.

"Why have you got all these letters, Mr. Potter?" she asked slowly.

"Is that a crime now?" said Fred loudly. "Getting mail?"

"Be careful, Mr. Weasley, or I shall have to put you in detention," said Umbridge. "Well, ?"

Harry hesitated, but he did not see how he could keep what he had done quiet; it was surely only a matter of time before a copy of The Quibbler came to Umbridge's attention. "People have written to me because I gave an interview," said Harry. "About what happened to me last June." For some reason he glanced up at the staff table as he said this. Harry had the strangest feeling that Dumbledore had been watching him a second before, but when he looked towards the Headmaster he seemed to be absorbed in conversation with Professor Flitwick.

"An interview?" repeated Umbridge, her voice thinner and higher than ever. "What do you mean?"

"What do you think he means? He means a reporter asked him questions because it was about time someone got his side of the story from him, not from second hand or from the lies the Ministry is feeding the public to cover up the fact the Dark Lord is back and we need to fight together to beat him." Colin snapped, suddenly angry.

"Detention, Mr Morgan, for the next two weeks. I have told you again and again to not tell lies, but it seems not only do you continue to, you are also accusing the Ministry of all people of telling lies. Now , Mr Potter. When did you do this interview? And where is it published?"

"Here." Harry threw the Quibbler over. She read the cover, her face turning a blotchy red with anger. "I did it last Hogsmeade weekend."

She looked up at him, incandescent with rage, the magazine shaking in her stubby fingers. "There will be no more Hogsmeade trips for you, Mr. Potter," she whispered. "How you dare…how you could…" She took a deep breath. "I have tried again and again to teach you not to tell lies as well. The message, apparently, has still not sunk in. Fifty points from Gryffindor and another week's worth of detentions."

She stalked away, clutching The Quibbler to her chest, the eyes of many students following her. By mid-morning enormous signs had been put up all over the school, not just on house noticeboards, but in the corridors and classrooms too.

_BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS_  
_Any student found in possession of the magazine The Quibbler will be expelled._  
_The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-seven._  
_Signed: Dolores Jane Umbridge, High Inquisitor_

For some reason, every time Hermione caught sight of one of these signs she beamed with pleasure.

"What exactly are you so happy about?" Harry asked her.

"Oh, Harry, don't you see?" Hermione breathed. "If she could have done one thing to make absolutely sure that every single person in this school will read your interview, it was banning it!"

And it seemed that Hermione was quite right. By the end of the day, though Harry had not seen so much as a corner of The Quibbler anywhere in the school, the whole place seemed to be quoting the interview to each other. Harry heard them whispering about it as they queued up outside classes, discussing it over lunch and in the back of lessons, while Hermione even reported that every occupant of the cubicles in the girls' toilets had been talking about it when she nipped in there before Ancient Runes. "Then they spotted me, and obviously they know I know you, so they bombarded me with questions," Hermione told Harry, her eyes shining, "and Harry, I think they believe you, I really do, I think you've finally got them convinced!"

Meanwhile, Professor Umbridge was stalking the school, stopping students at random and demanding that they turn out their books and pockets: Harry knew she was looking for copies of The Quibbler, but the students were several steps ahead of her. The pages carrying Harrys interview had been bewitched to resemble extracts from textbooks if anyone but themselves read it, or else wiped magically blank until they wanted to peruse it again. Soon it seemed that every single person in the school had read it.

The teachers were of course forbidden from mentioning the interview by Educational Decree Number Twenty-six, but they found ways to express their feelings about it all the same. Professor Sprout awarded Gryffindor twenty points when Harry passed her a watering can; a beaming Professor Flitwick pressed a box of squeaking sugar mice on him at the end of Charms, said, "Shh!" and hurried away; and Professor Trelawney broke into hysterical sobs during Divination and announced to the startled class, and a very disapproving Umbridge, that Harry was not going to suffer an early death after all, but would live to a ripe old age, become Minister for Magic and have twelve children.

Colin watched as Harry grew happier with each day, as his friends, like Cho and Sean told him they believed in him and were sorry for doubting him. He also watched as Malfoy and his gang grew more and more angry at the boy-who-lived, for his words against their father, and kept an eye on them all, but wasn't worried. They couldn't do anything, as they weren't meant to have read the interview at all.

The hype didn't last long. The detentions with Umbridge, both Harry and Colin attending, and the extra class with Snape that Harry had, coupled with the increasing amount of dreams the boy experienced were beginning to show on the boy's face.

They were on their way to their third detention, and Colin was trying to figure out how to encourage the boy, when Harry spoke up first. "Why'd you snap at Umbridge? You had to have known she'd only give you detention, and you had to have expected it."

"I needed to get into her office, to set up my own spells to cancel out her wards." Colin shrugged.

"The pranks and things, that she's been experiencing, that has been you." Harry grinned, surprised but pleased.

"With Fred and George's help, yep. We're planning something massive, don't worry. It'll be awesome."

"Was two weeks of detention worth it?"

"Definitely."

* * *

Colin was sitting in Dumbledore's office when he returned with Professor Trelawney, who was sobbing and hiccupping. "Mr Morgan, I assume you have an excellent reason for breaking into my office?" Dumbledore asked, as Professor McGonagall entered after them, charming Trelawney's luggage to follow.

"Of course." Colin nodded. "Professor Trelawney, I need to talk with you." Colin said as Dumbledore helped her sit down across his desk.

She continued sobbing.

"_Gwelwch yn dda, Sybill mae'n bwysig ar gyfer ein diogelwch yn y dyfodol._" Colin pleaded in the druid language, knowing she knew it, and would listen to him speak in the tongue.

Trelawney hiccuped, but stopped sobbing to stare at Colin. _"Sut ydych chi'n gwybod yr iaith hon?"_

_"Roedd fy nhad yn Balinor, ac mae fy mam yn Hunith. Nid wyf yn Druid-eni, ond cefais fy magu fel un, ac maent yn derbyn mi fel un. Maent yn galw i mi Emrys."_ Colin explained.

"So it is true?" Trelawney whispered, staring in shock and awe at the boy.

"Apparently." Colin shrugged.

"_Mae fy mywyd yn eiddo i chi, Emrys, i wneud fel y gwelwch yn dda. Os bydd arnoch angen fy assitance, yna byddaf yn gwneud popeth yn fy ngallu i wneud yr hyn rydych ei eisiau."_ Trelawney pledged. _"Dim ond, rwyf wedi bod pob un ond cicio allan o fy nghartref yma yn Hogwarts." _

_"Fi angen i chi aros. Deallaf na allwch orfodi breuddwydion yn wir, ond yr wyf yn gofyn i chi geisio ac yn dweud wrthyf y cyfan sydd ei weld. Fi angen unrhyw wybodaeth y gallwch ei freuddwydio am y Brenin unwaith ac yn y dyfodol. Bydd angen ei help os ydym am atal yr Arglwydd Tywyll"_ Colin asked, ignoring the other two adults in the room.

_"Wrth gwrs. Mae hyn o bryd yr wyf yn wir-breuddwyd unrhyw beth, byddaf yn dweud wrthych." _Trelawney promised.

_"Diolch yn fawr. Mai offeiriaid yr gwên Crefydd Hen arnoch cyn bo hir yn ôl."_ Colin muttered, before nodding at Dumbledore and McGonagall and leaving. He heard them talking behind him as he left.

"Sybill, what were you saying? With Mr Morgan?" McGonagall asked.

"It is not up to I to reveal a private discussion between two druids. I have been appointed a task, and while complete it to the best of my ability. I accept your kind offer, Albus, to remain at Hogwarts as a resident, and I will not cause trouble with that, that hag of a woman. I will be far too busy." Trelawney spoke.

Colin grinned to himself as he left. It was a long shot, Trelawney knowing or even seeing anything, but there was always a chance it would work.

**TBC**

**Translation:**

_"Please, Sybill it is important for our future safety."_ Colin pleaded in the druid language, knowing she knew it, and would listen to him speak in the tongue.

Trelawney hiccuped, but stopped sobbing to stare at Colin. "_How do you know this language?"_

"_My father was Balinor, and my mother was Hunith. I am not druid-born, but I was raised as one, and they accept me as one. They call me Emrys_." Colin explained.

"So it is true?" Trelawney whispered, staring in shock and awe at the boy.

"Apparently." Colin shrugged.

"_My life is yours, Emrys, to do as you see fit. Should you require my assitance, then I will do everything in my power to do what you want."_ Trelawney pledged. "_Only, I have been all but kicked out of my home here at Hogwarts."_

_"I need you to stay. I understand that you cannot force true dreams, but I require you to try and tell me all you see. I need any information you can dream about the once and future King. We will need his help if we are to stop the Dark Lord."_ Colin asked, ignoring the other two adults in the room.

"_Of course. The moment I true-dream anything, I will tell you."_ Trelawney promised.

_"Thank you. May the priests of the Old Religion smile upon you soon in return"_ Colin muttered, before nodding at Dumbledore and McGonagall and leaving. He heard them talking behind him as he left.


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you to all who have read, reviewed and/or favourited this story! I am really sorry about the large wait, but as I said last chapter, I had exams for school. Luckily, they are now over! Whoo-hoo! Party time! :D**

**Here is the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it. **

**Chapter 14**

* * *

Colin was getting better at suppressing his frustration and annoyance at the lack of action he could take, and was getting much better at subtly trying to keep Harry's hopes up. He was curious to have his first Divination lesson, but was anxious at the same time. The centaur would recognise him, of this Colin was certain, but he hoped the creature would have the sense to not openly comment.

Hermione was arguing with two other Gryffindor girls who were gushing over the centaur.

"I thought you two were all upset that Trelawney had gone?" Hermione was asking.

"We are!" Lavender, one of the girls, assured her. "We went up to her office to see her; we took her some daffodils – not the honking ones that Sprout's got, nice ones."

"How is she?" asked Harry.

"Not very good, she lost her job and nearly lost her home, but she is a lot better than we expected." Parvati, the other girl said. "Kept going on about dreams and visions, in between crying and insulting Umbridge."

"I don't blame her," Lavender sighed, "Umbridge was horrible to her, wasn't she?"

"I've got a feeling Umbridge has only just started being horrible," said Hermione darkly.

"Impossible," said Ron, who was tucking into a large plate of eggs and bacon. "She can't get any worse than she's been already."

"Yes she can." Colin joined in.

"I agree," Hermione said, "She's going to want revenge on Dumbledore for appointing a new teacher without consulting her, especially another part-human. You saw the look on her face when she saw Firenze."

Hermione's statement ended the conversation and she left for her class while Colin followed the four Gryffindors to Divination. They entered the room on the ground floor just down the corridor from the Entrance Hall, and Colin grinned as he felt the tingle of illusion magic. He glanced at the other students who were staring around at the forest in surprise and awe, and adopted a similar expression to avoid suspicion.

Firenze greeted Harry Potter, as Ron and Colin sat down on the edge of the clearing where the centaur was waiting and watched as all the other students seemed impressed with Harry's ability to converse with the intimidating teacher.

When the door was closed and the last student had sat down on a tree stump beside the wastepaper basket, Firenze gestured around the room. "Professor Dumbledore has kindly arranged this classroom for us," said Firenze, when everyone had settled down, "in imitation of my natural habitat. I would have preferred to teach you in the Forbidden Forest, which was - until Monday - my home… but that is no longer possible."

"Please - er - sir -" said Parvati breathlessly, raising her hand, "- why not? We've been in there with Hagrid, we're not frightened!"

"It is not a question of your bravery," said Firenze, "but of my position. I cannot return to the Forest. My herd has banished me."

"Herd?" said Lavender in a confused voice, "What - oh!" Comprehension dawned on her face. "There are more of you!" she said, stunned.

"Did Hagrid breed you, like the Thestrals?" asked Dean eagerly.

Colin winced at the question, amazed at the oblivious nature of the boy. He had believed that even teenage boys would have the general concept of manners and respect to know not to ask a question that demeaning, but it would seem Colin was wrong.

Firenze turned his head very slowly to face Dean, who seemed to realize at once that he had said something very offensive.

"I didn't - I meant - sorry" he finished in a hushed voice.

"Centaurs are not the servants or playthings of humans," said Firenze quietly.

There was a pause and then Parvati raised her hand again. "Please, sir… why have the other centaurs banished you?"

"Because I have agreed to work for Professor Dumbledore," said Firenze. "They see this as a betrayal of our kind."

Colin studied the centaur as he started the class, and listened intently to the real meaning behind his words and teaching.

He told them that Professor Trelawney had taught them nonsense, and Colin smothered the urge to laugh in agreement. She had some talent with true dreams, which are visions of the future, past or present (one cannot tell the difference until something in the vision gives it away) and possibly with Seeing, but all the tea leaves and dream readings were pointless.

"In the past decade, the indications have been that wizard kind is living through nothing more than a brief calm between two wars. Mars, bringer of battle, shines brightly above us, suggesting that the fight must soon break out again. The bright light of Altair, the brightest star in Aquilia, has been visible for several months now, regardless of the weather, which suggests the arrival of something to fight in the battle, a predator that will stop at nothing to catch their prey. What the stars and planets do not tell us is when the battle will be here, and which side the warrior will fight on. Centaurs may attempt to divine these answers by the burning of certain herbs and leaves, by the observation of fume and flame…"

* * *

At the end of the lesson, with the smell of sage and mallowsweet still lingering in the air, Firenze called out to Harry, asking the boy to stay.

Ron hesitated, to which Firenze said, "You may stay, but close the door please."

Colin stayed next to Harry as Ron hastened to obey and shut the door. Firenze nodded to Colin in acknowledgement.

"Harry Potter, you are a friend of Hagrid's, are you not?" Firenze asked.

"Yes," said Harry.

"Then give him a warning from me. His attempt is not working. He would do better to abandon it."

"His attempt is not working?" Harry repeated blankly.

"And he would do better to abandon it," said Firenze, nodding. "I would warn Hagrid myself, but I am banished - it would be unwise for me to go too near the Forest now - Hagrid has troubles enough, without a centaurs' battle."

Colin frowned and tried to remember if he had felt something off about his care of magical creatures teacher.

"But - what's Hagrid attempting to do?" Harry asked nervously.

Firenze surveyed Harry impassively. "Hagrid has recently rendered me a great service and he has long since earned my respect for the care he shows all living creatures. I shall not betray his secret. But he must be brought to his senses. The attempt is not working. Tell him, Harry Potter. Good-day to you."

Harry and Ron moved to leave, but paused at the door as Colin didn't follow.

"Good-day, Harry Potter." Firenze repeated.

"They can stay." Colin spoke up.

Firenze blinked and nodded once, before saying, "My herd banished me for helping Dumbledore and humans, but should you need help, you need only ask, they will fight for you, as will I." Firenze vowed.

Colin grinned at the centaur, "Thank you, but I am hoping it won't come to a battle as big as what everyone is preparing for and expecting."

"You expect the Dark One to easily accept defeat?" Firenze asked.

"No, but I am hoping we will have enough tools at our disposal to defeat him without excessive bloodshed."

"Are you referring to Excalibur and its wielder?" Firenze asked.

"I know where Excalibur is, I am looking merely looking for its wielder. It is my hope I will find him willing to remember and willing to help." Colin sighed. "Do you know of anything you are prepared to share? Any rumours, whisperings?"

"Only that the Once and Future King is among the Earth once more, and is attending Hogwarts." Firenze gave a small shrug, "I am sorry I could not be of more help."

"That is helpful as is, I know for certain now, whereas before it was all speculation, assumptions and hope." Colin grinned. "Thank you." Colin moved to the door, where Harry and Ron were watching intently. Colin opened the door and gestured for them to walk out.

As Colin left the room behind the pair of boys, Firenze called out, "Good luck Emrys."

"Excalibur?" Harry asked, the moment the door was shut.

"If centaurs hate humans, why would they willingly fight for one?" Ron also asked.

"It is a long story, one I cannot share yet." Colin spoke carefully and slowly, "but yes, we were talking about Excalibur, from the legends of King Arthur and the Round Table."

"You tell us little bits here and there, which make use more confused rather than help us." Ron whined.

Colin laughed and shrugged. "I can only tell you what I know and what is my secret to share, I will not share secrets if I have given my word I wouldn't tell another soul. Now come on, we need to hurry to get to the next class on time."

* * *

Colin was wondering through the castle, searching for a sign of something happening, anything, simply because he was bored, a few nights later. He could feel the tingle of magic being used in the Room of Requirement and grinned to himself at the DA's persistent practicing and learning, they were impressive.

The grin dropped when the tingle died abruptly. Colin spun on his heel and ran silently back to the secret room, praying nothing was wrong. He managed to get within a few corridors of the room, when someone grabbed his collar and he was yanked off his feet and to the side. He struggled in the grip, kicking and scratching at his attacker but jumped when the boy whispered a spell and then shouted, "PROFESSOR! I GOT TWO!"

"Malfoy." Colin growled, kicking and fighting back with renewed vigour.

Umbridge came around and beamed at the sight of Harry on the floor and Colin in Malfoy's grip. "Excellent, Draco, excellent, oh, very good - fifty points to Slytherin! I'll take them from here… stand up, Potter!" Umbridge gripped Colin's arm and jerked him off Malfoy.

Harry got to his feet, glaring at the pair of them. Umbridge seized his arm in a vice-like grip and turned, beaming broadly, to Malfoy. "You hop along and see if you can round up any more of them, Draco," she said. "Tell the others to look in the library - anybody out of breath - check the bathrooms, Miss Parkinson can do the girls' ones - off you go - and you," she added in her softest, most dangerous voice, as Malfoy walked away, "You can both come with me to the Headmasters office." They were at the stone gargoyle within minutes. While Harry wondered about the others and was worrying for them, Colin was struggling to keep control of his magic, struggling not to shove her away as her magic oozed over his, making him feel sick with the sensation.

"Fizzing Whizzbee," sang Umbridge; the stone gargoyle jumped aside, the wall behind split open, and they ascended the moving stone staircase. They reached the polished door with the griffin knocker, but Umbridge did not bother to knock, she strode straight inside, still holding tight to Harry and Colin.

The office was full of people. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, his expression serene, the tips of his long fingers together. Professor McGonagall stood rigidly beside him, her face extremely tense. Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, was rocking backwards and forwards on his toes beside the fire, apparently immensely pleased with the situation; Kingsley Shacklebolt and a tough-looking wizard with very short wiry hair whom either Harry or Colin couldn't recognize, were positioned on either side of the door like guards, and the freckled, bespectacled form of Percy Weasley hovered excitedly beside the wall, a quill and a heavy scroll of parchment in his hands, apparently poised to take notes.

The portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses were not shamming sleep tonight. All of them were alert and serious, watching what was happening below them. As Umbridge entered with the two students, a few flitted into neighboring frames and whispered urgently into their neighbor's ear. Harry pulled himself free of Umbridge's grasp as the door swung shut behind them, as did Colin. Colin then proceeded to take a few steps away from the woman, and rubbed the arm where she had been holding. A quick scan with his magic showed him the intent behind the Minister's and Umbridge's actions, they meant ill for Harry and Dumbledore today

Colin prepared himself to fight.

_'I appreciate the sentiment, but it is unnecessary, I was aware it was only a matter of time before Harry was caught.'_ Dumbledore' voice echoed in Colin's mind.

_'What's the plan?'_

_'I am going to leave Hogwarts.'_

**TBC**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Cornelius Fudge was glaring at Harry with a kind of vicious satisfaction on his face, completely ignoring Colin's presence.

"Well," he said. "Well, well, well…"

"This is Colin Morgan, another fifth year student, new to the school this year. They were heading back to Gryffindor Tower," said Umbridge. There was an indecent excitement in her voice, the same callous pleasure that had been present as she watched Professor Trelawney dissolving with misery in the Entrance Hall. "The Malfoy boy cornered them both."

"Did he, did he?" said Fudge appreciatively. "I must remember to tell Lucius. Well, Potter… I expect you know why you are here?"

_'No.'_ Colin sent, as Harry opened his mouth to respond with a defiant yes. _'Professor Dumbledore has a plan to keep you at the school, one that no one is going to like but it is necessary. Play stupid.'_

Harry changed direction mid-word. "Ye—no."

"I beg your pardon?" said Fudge.

"No," said Harry, firmly.

"You don't know why you are here?"

"No, I don't," said Harry.

"Do you, Mr Morgan?" Umbridge asked of the other boy.

"No Professor Umbridge, unless it is for being out and about past curfew, but at the time we still had ten minutes. I was coming back from the front door, towards the library when Draco Malfoy suddenly grabbed me." Colin shook his head.

Fudge looked incredulously from Harry to Colin to Professor Umbridge. "So you have no idea," said Fudge, in a voice positively sagging with sarcasm, "Why Professor Umbridge has brought you to this office? You are not aware that you have broken any school rules?"

"School rules?" said Harry shook his head.

Colin shook his head as well. "No."

"Or Ministry Decrees?" amended Fudge angrily.

"Not that I'm aware of," said Harry blandly, while Colin nodded his agreement.

"So, it's news to you, is it," said Fudge, his voice now thick with anger, "that an illegal student organization has been discovered within this school?"

"Really?" Colin gasped, mouth dropping open in surprise before he recovered. He felt Harry's eyes on his head, knowing the boy was just realising how good of an actor Colin was.

"Yes, it is," said Harry, hoisting an unconvincing look of innocent surprise on to his face, attempting to be just as believable. And failing.

"I think, Minister," said Umbridge silkily from beside him, "we might make better progress if I fetch our informant."

"Yes, yes, do," said Fudge, nodding, and he glanced maliciously at Dumbledore as Umbridge left the room. "There's nothing like a good witness, is there, Dumbledore?"

"Nothing at all, Cornelius," said Dumbledore gravely, inclining his head.

There was a wait of several minutes, in which nobody looked at each other, then the door open behind him. Umbridge moved past him into the room, gripping by the shoulder Cho's curly-haired friend, Marietta, who was hiding her face in her hands.

"Don't be scared, dear, don't be frightened," said Professor Umbridge softly, patting her on the back, "it's quite all right, now. You have done the right thing. The Minister is very pleased with you. He'll be telling your mother what a good girl you've been. Marietta's mother, Minister," she added, looking up at Fudge, "is Madam Edgecombe from the Department of Magical Transportation, Floo Network office - she's been helping us police the Hogwarts fires, you know."

"Jolly good, jolly good!" said Fudge heartily. "Like mother, like daughter, eh? Well, come on, now, dear, look up, don't be shy, let's hear what you've got to - galloping gargoyles!"

As Marietta raised her head, Fudge leapt backwards in shock, nearly landing himself in the fire. He cursed, and stamped on the hem of his cloak which had started to smoke. Marietta gave a wail and pulled the neck of her robes right up to her eyes, but not before everyone had seen that her face was horribly disfigured by a series of close-set purple pustules that had spread across her nose and cheeks to form the word SNEAK.

Colin made eye contact with Dumbledore who shook his head slightly.

_'I can help fix this.'_ Colin sent.

_'No, I was expecting this, do not worry, stay sharp and protect Harry, and the school. Professor McGonagall knows to listen to you and take into consideration what you know.'_ Dumbledore replied.

_'I will do what I can, but I am not meant to step in until the Final Battle.'_ Colin warned.

_'It is my hope and belief that you won't be needed until then, I plan to keep the boy safe as possible.'_

_'Good luck with that.'_ Colin sent back, sarcasm lining his tone.

Dumbledore's face didn't change, but Colin knew he was suppressing a smile.

While Colin and Dumbledore had been conversing, the conversation out loud had revealed an informant from the pub where they had had their first meeting, and that the Ministry knew all along. That Umbridge had known all along.

"Blatant corruption!" roared the portrait of the corpulent, red-nosed wizard on the wall behind Dumbledore's desk. "The Ministry did not cut deals with petty criminals in my day, no sir, they did not!"

"Thank you, Fortescue, that will do," said Dumbledore softly.

"The purpose of Potter's meeting with these students," continued Professor Umbridge, "was to persuade them to join an illegal society, whose aim was to learn spells and curses the Ministry has decided are inappropriate for school-age -"

"I think you'll find you're wrong there, Dolores," said Dumbledore quietly, peering at her over the half-moon spectacles perched halfway down his crooked nose.

_'Good luck.'_ Colin sighed.

"Oho!" said Fudge, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet again. "Yes, do let's hear the latest cock-and-bull story designed to pull Potter out of trouble! Go on, then, Dumbledore, go on - Willy Widdershins was lying, was he? Or was it Potters identical twin in the Hog's Head that day? Or is there the usual simple explanation involving a reversal of time, a dead man coming back to life and a couple of invisible Dementors?"

Percy Weasley let out a hearty laugh. "Oh, very good, Minister, very good!"

"Cornelius, I do not deny - and nor, I am sure, does Harry - that he was in the Hog's Head that day, nor that he was trying to recruit students to a Defense Against the Dark Arts group. I am merely pointing out that Dolores is quite wrong to suggest that such a group was, at that time, illegal. If you remember, the Ministry Decree banning all student societies was not put into effect until two days after Harrys Hogsmeade meeting, so he was not breaking any rules at all in the Hog's Head." Dumbledore explained with a soft smile on his face.

Percy looked as though he had been struck in the face by something very heavy. Fudge remained motionless in mid-bounce, his mouth hanging open. Umbridge recovered first. "That's all very fine, Headmaster," she said, smiling sweetly, "but we are now nearly six months on from the introduction of Educational Decree Number Twenty-four. If the first meeting was not illegal, all those that have happened since most certainly are."

"Well," said Dumbledore, surveying her with polite interest over the top of his interlocked fingers, "They certainly would be, if they had continued after the Decree came into effect. Do you have any evidence that any such meetings continued?"

As Dumbledore spoke, Colin reached out with his magic and wrapped it around Marietta, gently suggesting to her that protecting the group would help with the spots and help redeem herself.

"Evidence?" repeated Umbridge, with that horrible wide toad-like smile. "Have you not been listening, Dumbledore? Why do you think Miss Edgecombe is here?"

"Oh, can she tell us about six months' worth of meetings?" said Dumbledore, raising his eyebrows. "I was under the impression that she was merely reporting a meeting tonight."

"Miss Edgecombe," said Umbridge at once, "tell us how long these meetings have been going on, dear. You can simply nod or shake your head, I'm sure that won't make the spots worse. Have they been happening regularly over the last six months? Just nod or shake your head, dear," Umbridge said coaxingly to Marietta, "come on, now, that won't re-activate the jinx."

Everyone in the room was gazing at the top of Marietta's face. Only her eyes were visible between the pulled-up robes and her curly fringe. To everyone's utter amazement - Marietta shook her head. Umbridge looked quickly at Fudge, then back at Marietta.

Colin sent a rush of gratitude and happiness to surround the girl, and encouraged her to continue trying to redeem herself to remove the spots. At the same time, he carefully changed her memories so what Dumbledore was saying was the truth in her mind.

"I don't think you understood the question, did you, dear? I'm asking whether you've been going to these meetings for the past six months? You have, haven't you?"

Again, Marietta shook her head.

"What do you mean by shaking your head, dear?" said Umbridge in a testy voice.

"I would have thought her meaning was quite clear," said Professor McGonagall harshly, "there have been no secret meetings for the past six months. Is that correct, Miss Edgecombe?"

Marietta nodded.

"But there was a meeting tonight!" said Umbridge furiously. "There was a meeting, Miss Edgecombe, you told me about it, in the Room of Requirement! And Potter was the leader, was he not, Potter organized it, Potter - why are you shaking your head, girl?"

"Well, usually when a person shakes their head," said McGonagall coldly, "they mean 'no'. So unless Miss Edgecombe is using a form of sign-language as yet unknown to humans -"

Professor Umbridge seized Marietta, pulled her round to face her and began shaking her very hard. A split second later Dumbledore was on his feet, his wand raised; Kingsley started forwards and Umbridge leapt back from Marietta, waving her hands in the air as though they had been burned.

"I cannot allow you to manhandle my students, Dolores," said Dumbledore and, for the first time, he looked angry.

"You want to calm yourself, Madam Umbridge," said Kingsley, in his deep, slow voice. "You don't want to get yourself into trouble, now."

"No," said Umbridge breathlessly, glancing up at the towering figure of Kingsley. "I mean, yes - you're right, Shacklebolt - I - I forgot myself."

Marietta was standing exactly where Umbridge had released her. She seemed neither perturbed by Umbridge's sudden attack, nor relieved by her release; she was still clutching her robe up to her oddly blank eyes and staring straight ahead of her. Colin kept her practically blind to all that was happening, waiting for the signal from Dumbledore.

"Dolores," said Fudge, with the air of trying to settle something once and for all, "the meeting tonight - the one we know definitely happened -"

"Yes," said Umbridge, pulling herself together, "yes… well, Miss Edgecombe tipped me off and I proceeded at once to the seventh floor, accompanied by certain trustworthy students, so as to catch those in the meeting red-handed. It appears that they were forewarned of my arrival, however, because when we reached the seventh floor they were running in every direction. It does not matter, however. I have all their names here, Miss Parkinson ran into the Room of Requirement for me to see if they had left anything behind. We needed evidence and the room provided."

And she then withdrew from her pocket the list of names that had been pinned upon the Room of Requirement's wall and handed it to Fudge. "The moment I saw Potter's name on the list, I knew what we were dealing with," she said softly.

"Excellent," said Fudge, a smile spreading across his face, "excellent, Dolores. And… by thunder…" He looked up at Dumbledore, who was still standing beside Marietta, his wand held loosely in his hand. "See what they've named themselves?" said Fudge quietly. "Dumbledore's Army."

Dumbledore reached out and took the piece of parchment from Fudge. He gazed at the heading scribbled by Hermione months before and for a moment seemed unable to speak.

Then he looked up, smiling.

"Well, the game is up," he said simply. "Would you like a written confession from me, Cornelius - or will a statement before these witnesses suffice?"

Colin was aware that Harry, McGonagall and Kinglsey were all confused and scared for their leader. Poor Fudge had no idea what was coming.

"Statement?" said Fudge slowly. "What - I don't -?"

"Dumbledore's Army, Cornelius," said Dumbledore, still smiling as he waved the list of names before Fudge's face. "Not Potter's Army. Dumbledore's Army."

"But - but -" Understanding blazed suddenly in Fudges face. He took a horrified step backwards, yelped, and jumped out of the fire again. "You?" he whispered, stamping again on his smouldering cloak.

"That's right," said Dumbledore pleasantly.

"You organized this?"

"I did," said Dumbledore.

"You recruited these students for - for your army?"

"Tonight was supposed to be the first meeting," said Dumbledore, nodding. "Merely to see whether they would be interested in joining me. I see now that it was a mistake to invite Miss Edgecombe, of course."

Marietta nodded. Fudge looked from her to Dumbledore, his chest swelling.

"Then you have been plotting against me!" he yelled.

"That's right," said Dumbledore cheerfully.

"NO!" shouted Harry. Kingsley flashed a look of warning at him, McGonagall widened her eyes threateningly, but it had suddenly dawned on Harry what Dumbledore was about to do, and he could not let it happen.

'Stay quiet and don't ruin his only chance at getting out of here free, while leaving you in Hogwarts without punishment from Umbridge.' Colin sent him.

"Well, well, well - I came here tonight expecting to expel Potter and instead-" Fudge cackled almost gleefully. They all ignored Harry's outburst.

"Instead you get to arrest me," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It's like losing a Knut and finding a Galleon, isn't it?"

"Weasley!" cried Fudge, now positively quivering with delight, "Weasley, have you written it all down, everything he's said, his confession, have you got it?"

"Yes, sir, I think so, sir!" said Percy eagerly, whose nose was splattered with ink from the speed of his note-taking.

"The bit about how he's been trying to build up an army against the Ministry, how he's been working to destabilize me?"

"Yes, sir, I've got it, yes!" said Percy, scanning his notes joyfully.

"Very well, then," said Fudge, now radiant with glee, "duplicate your notes, Weasley, and send a copy to the Daily Prophet at once. If we send a fast owl we should make the morning edition!" Percy dashed from the room, slamming the door behind him, and Fudge turned back to Dumbledore. "You will now be escorted back to the Ministry, where you will be formally charged, then sent to Azkaban to await trial!"

"Ah," said Dumbledore gently, "yes. Yes, I thought we might hit that little snag."

"Snag?" said Fudge, his voice still vibrating with joy. "I see no snag, Dumbledore!"

"Well," said Dumbledore apologetically, "I'm afraid I do."

"Oh, really?"

"Well - it's just that you seem to be laboring under the delusion that I am going to - what is the phrase? - come quietly. I am afraid I am not going to come quietly at all, Cornelius. I have absolutely no intention of being sent to Azkaban. I could break out, of course - but what a waste of time, and frankly, I can think of a whole host of things I would rather be doing."

Umbridge's face was growing steadily redder; she looked as though she was being filled with boiling water. Fudge stared at Dumbledore with a very silly expression on his face, as though he had just been stunned by a sudden blow and could not quite believe it had happened. He made a small choking noise, then looked round at Kingsley and the man with short grey hair, who alone of everyone in the room had remained entirely silent so far. The latter gave Fudge a reassuring nod and moved forwards a little, away from the wall. Harry saw his hand drift, almost casually, towards his pocket.

"Don't be silly, Dawlish," said Dumbledore kindly. "I'm sure you are an excellent Auror - I seem to remember that you achieved 'Outstanding' in all your NEWT s — but if you attempt to — er — bring me in by force, I will have to hurt you."

The man called Dawlish blinked rather foolishly. He looked towards Fudge again, but this time seemed to be hoping for a clue as to what to do next.

"So," sneered Fudge, recovering himself, "you intend to take on Dawlish, Shacklebolt, Dolores and myself single-handed, do you, Dumbledore?"

"Merlin's beard, no," said Dumbledore, smiling, "not unless you are foolish enough to force me to."

"He will not be single-handed!" said Professor McGonagall loudly, plunging her hand inside her robes.

"Oh yes he will, Minerva!" said Dumbledore sharply. "Hogwarts needs you!"

"Enough of this rubbish!" said Fudge, pulling out his own wand. "Dawlish! Shacklebolt! Take him!"

A streak of silver light flashed around the room; there was a bang like a gunshot and the floor trembled. Colin shoved with his magic and knocked Harry, Marietta and McGonagall to the ground, as he used his magic to make the room hazy and dark, hard to see in. He then helped to knock out the last auror, before remembering to pull out his wand. He turned in time to see Dumbledore check on McGonagall and the two students.

"Are you all right?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes!" said Professor McGonagall, getting up and dragging Harry and Marietta with her.

The dust was clearing. The wreckage of the office loomed into view: Dumbledore's desk had been overturned, all of the spindly tables had been knocked to the floor, their silver instruments in pieces. Fudge, Umbridge, Kingsley and Dawlish lay motionless on the floor. Fawkes the phoenix soared in wide circles above them, singing softly. "Unfortunately, I had to hex Kingsley too, or it would have looked very suspicious," said Dumbledore in a low voice. "He was remarkably quick on the uptake, thank him, for me, won't you, Minerva? And thank you, Mr Morgan, for your quick thinking with Miss Edgecombe, and modifying her memory."

"No problem. Can you get out of here alright?" Coling asked.

Dumbledore nodded, ""Now, they will all awake very soon and it will be best if they do not know that we had time to communicate - you must act as though no time has passed, as though they were merely knocked to the ground, they will not remember -"

"Where will you go, Dumbledore?" whispered Professor McGonagall. "Grimmauld Place?"

"Oh no," said Dumbledore, with a grim smile, "I am not leaving to go into hiding. Fudge will soon wish he'd never dislodged me from Hogwarts, I promise you."

"Professor Dumbledore…" Harry began.

"Listen to me, Harry," he said urgently. "You must study Occlumency as hard as you can, do you understand me? Do everything Professor Snape tells you and practice it particularly every night before sleeping so that you can close your mind to bad dreams - you will understand why soon enough, but you must promise me -" The man called Dawlish was stirring. Dumbledore seized Harry's wrist. "Remember - close your mind -"

But as Dumbledore's fingers closed over Harrys skin, a pain shot through the scar on his forehead and he felt again that terrible, snakelike longing to strike Dumbledore, to bite him, to hurt him -

"- you will understand," whispered Dumbledore.

Fawkes circled the office and swooped low over him. Dumbledore released Harry, raised his hand and grasped the phoenix's long golden tail. There was a flash of fire and the pair of them were gone.

"Where is he?" yelled Fudge, pushing himself up from the floor. "Where is he?"

"I don't know!" shouted Kingsley, also leaping to his feet.

"Well, he can't have Disapparated!" cried Umbridge. "You can't do it from inside this school -"

"The stairs!" cried Dawlish, and he flung himself upon the door, wrenched it open and disappeared, followed closely by Kingsley and Umbridge. Fudge hesitated, then got slowly to his feet, brushing dust from his front. There was a long and painful silence.

"Well, Minerva," said Fudge nastily, straightening his torn shirtsleeve, "I'm afraid this is the end of your friend Dumbledore."

"You think so, do you?" said Professor McGonagall scornfully.

Fudge seemed not to hear her. He was looking around at the wrecked office. A few of the portraits hissed at him; one or two even made rude hand gestures. "You'd better get those three off to bed," said Fudge, looking back at Professor McGonagall with a dismissive nod towards Harry, Colin and Marietta.

McGonagall said nothing, just turned and led the students out of the wrecked office.

**TBC**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

_BY ORDER OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC_

_Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor) has replaced Albus Dumbledore as Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

_The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-eight._

_Signed: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister for Magic_

The notices had gone up all around the school overnight, but they did not explain how every single person within the castle seemed to know that Dumbledore had overcome two Aurors, the High Inquisitor, the Minister for Magic and his Junior Assistant to escape. No matter where you wentwithin the castle, the sole topic of conversation was Dumbledore's flight, and though some of the details may have gone awry in the retelling , it was surprising how accurate the rest of their information was. Everybody knew, for instance, that Harry, Marietta and Colin were the only students to have witnessed the scene in Dumbledore's office and, as Marietta was now in the hospital wing, Harry and Colin found themselves besieged with requests to give a first-hand account.  
Well Harry was, Colin successfully avoided crowds and questions, remaining in solitude even more than before now that Dumbledore was gone. Harry and Ron knew the boy disappeared in the middle of the night for a few hours and returned just as the sun was rising each time. He stopped talking to the trio of friends and while he would sit with them during meal times and classes, he was always staring into space in a trance-like state, or paying attention in class, taking careful notes and paying full attention.

The only people Harry, Ron and Hermione saw Colin talking with were the Weasley twins, which made them worry since they knew Fred and George were planning a lot of mayhem and mischief.

As Filch practically frog marched Harry to the new Headmistress' office, Ron and Hermione moved into the Great Hall for lunch, for once without their silent shadow named Colin.

Colin was busy.

He was crouching on the rafters in the Great Hall, in the middle of the roof, watching the students below him, with a bag next to him, wedged between two rafters so it didn't fall. Fred was crouched to the far left, and George to the far right.

Colin looked to Fred, who grinned and winked, he twisted to look at George and nodded twice. They all lifted their wands and tapped the bag once each, before dropping them down. The bags made it halfway down before they burnt up and the fireworks in them caught the sparks and were set off.

At the same time, Colin gestured to the crates placed conveniently behind the stares and the smaller ones hidden behind suits of armour, who had all been willing guards of the plan once Colin had explained. The fireworks inside caught and were set off as well, as the crate lids flew off.

_**BOOM!**_

The floor of the school shook, and the three in the rafters hung on. Colin's eyes flashed and the three were suddenly sitting at the tables, eating lunch where three illusions of themselves (courtesy of Colin) had been eating since the start of lunch. They joined the group of students running to the Great Hall to see what the noise had been. The three shared grins as Dragons comprised entirely of green and gold sparks were soaring up and down the corridors, emitting loud fiery blasts and bangs as they went; shocking-pink Catherine wheels five feet in diameter were whizzing lethally through the air like so many flying saucers; rockets with long tails of brilliant silver stars were ricocheting off the walls; sparklers were writing swear words in midair of their own accord; firecrackers were exploding like mines everywhere they looked, and instead of burning themselves out, fading from sight or fizzling to a halt, these pyrotechnical miracles seemed to be gaining in energy and momentum the longer they fizzed about.

Filch and Umbridge were standing, apparently transfixed in horror, halfway down the stairs. As the crowd gathered to watch in shock and amusement, one of the larger Catherine wheels seemed to decide that what it needed was more room to maneuver; it whirled towards Umbridge and Filch with a sinister 'wheeeeeeeeee'. They both yelled with fright and ducked, and it soared straight out of the window behind them and off across the grounds. Meanwhile, several of the dragons and a large purple bat that was smoking ominously took advantage of the open door at the end of the corridor to escape towards the second floor.

"Hurry, Filch, hurry!" shrieked Umbridge, "they'll be all over the school unless we do something - Stupefy"

A jet of red light shot out of the end of her wand and hit one of the rockets. Instead of freezing in mid air, it exploded with such force that it blasted a hole in a painting of a soppy-looking witch in the middle of a meadow; she ran for it just in time, reappearing seconds later squashed into the next painting, where a couple of wizards playing cards stood up hastily to make room for her. "Don't Stun them, Filch!" shouted Umbridge angrily, for all the world as though it had been his incantation.

"Right you are, Headmistress!" wheezed Filch, who as a Squib could no more have Stunned the fireworks then swallowed them. He dashed to a nearby cupboard, pulled out a broom and began swatting at the fireworks in mid air; within seconds the head of the broom was ablaze.

All the students were laughing and running under the fireworks, dodging them and laughing at Umbridge as she struggled. The group of students loyal to her tried to help, adding to the mess and entertainment. The trio of pranksters shared a grin and went their separate ways.

The fireworks continued to burn and to spread all over the school that afternoon. Though they caused plenty of disruption, particularly the firecrackers, the other teachers didn't seem to mind them very much.

"Dear, dear," said Professor McGonagall sardonically, as one of the dragons soared around her classroom, emitting loud bangs and exhaling flame. "Miss Brown, would you mind running along to the Headmistress and informing her that we have an escaped firework in our classroom?"

The upshot of it all was that Professor Umbridge spent her first afternoon as Headmistress running all over the school answering the summonses of the other teachers, none of whom seemed able to rid their rooms of the fireworks without her. When the final bell rang and they were heading back to Gryffindor Tower with their bags, Harry saw, with immense satisfaction, a disheveled and soot-blackened Umbridge tottering sweaty-faced from Professor Flitwick's classroom.

"Thank you so much, Professor!" said Professor Flitwick in his squeaky little voice. "I could have got rid of the sparklers myself, of course, but I wasn't sure whether or not I had the authority." Beaming, he closed his classroom door in her snarling face.

* * *

Fred and George were heroes that night in the Gryffindor common room. as everyone knew it had been them, although, none were sure how they pulled it off since they were in full view all of lunch of every student and teacher in the hall.

"It wasn't our idea." Fred announced cheerfully, before dobbing Colin in as the mastermind this time. Everyone cheered the three on. Even Hermione fought her way through the excited crowd to congratulate them.

"They were wonderful fireworks," she said admiringly.

"Thanks," said George, looking both surprised and pleased. "Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs. Only thing is, we used our whole stock; we're going to have to start again from scratch now."

"It was worth it, though." Colin grinned.

Fred, who was taking orders from clamouring Gryffindors, added "If you want to add your name to the waiting list, Hermione, it's five Galleons for your Basic Blaze box and twenty for the Deflagration Deluxe…"

Hermione left as other people pushed forward to congratulate the three and place their orders with one of the twins.

* * *

Colin stepped into Snape's office once Harry and left the corridor, and sat on the desk as Snape paced angrily.

"Are you going to tell me off for telling him to never come back?" Snape snapped. "The ignorant, obnoxious fool. He is exactly like his father, sticking his nose into everything and assuming he will never get into trouble, assuming everything is his to know."

"I am quite happy, actually, that you've stopped his lessons. In theory, they are the best thing for him, but he wasn't trying, simply because it was you teaching, and Dumbledore has been ignoring him. They were making things worse since they weren't working." Colin shrugged. "And you can't blame the boy for trying to find out the truth when everyone is keeping it from him."

"I can and I will." Snape spat.

"Well, don't start the lessons again, unless Harry comes to you and seems to actually want to do it, not because Hermione has made him." Colin shrugged.

"I won't." Snape vowed, anger evident in his face and voice.

* * *

Since Colin would be staying, whereas Fred and George would be leaving, they planned the final prank to be when he had a class with Umbridge. He also knew of Harry's plan to talk to Sirius, and figured as long as he didn't get caught, which he wouldn't since Colin could keep Umbridge occupied after the diversion if need be, it wouldn't hurt for him to get some help from his last family member.

The group were halfway along the corridor outside, after Defence Against the Dark Arts, when they heard the unmistakable sounds of a diversion going off in the distance. There were screams and yells reverberating from somewhere above them; people exiting the classrooms all around the group were stopping in their tracks and looking up at the ceiling fearfully - Umbridge came pelting out of her classroom as fast as her short legs would carry her. Pulling out her wand, she hurried off in the opposite direction. Harry ran back the way they had come as Colin lead Hermione and Ron through the crowds to the source of the diversion. As they weaved their way through, Colin sent his magic back to keep guard for Harry.

They appeared at the diversion just as Umbridge ordered Filch to go get something out of her office.

Colin waited until last minute, giving Harry as much time as possible before sending to the boy, _'Harry, Filch will be in the office in two minutes.'_ Colin waited until the boy stood up and covered himself with his invisibility cloak before turning his attention to Fred and George standing in the middle of the hall, covered in stinksap from upstairs.

Filch reappeared, wheezing, seconds before Harry appeared at the stairs near Umbridge.

"So!" said Umbridge triumphantly. "So - you think it amusing to turn a school corridor into a swamp, do you?"

"Pretty amusing, yeah," said Fred, looking up at her without the slightest sign of fear.

Filch elbowed his way closer to Umbridge, almost crying with happiness.

"I've got the form, Headmistress," he said hoarsely, waving a piece of parchment. "I've got the form and I've got the whips waiting… oh, let me do it now…"

"Very good, Argus," she said. "You two," she went on, gazing down at Fred and George, "are about to learn what happens to wrongdoers in my school."

"You know what?" said Fred. "I don't think we are." He turned to his twin. "George," said Fred, "I think we've outgrown full-time education."

"Yeah, I've been feeling that way myself," said George lightly.

"Time to test our talents in the real world, d'you reckon?" asked Fred.

"Definitely," said George.

And before Umbridge could say a word, they raised their wands and said together: "Accio brooms!"

Fred and George's broomsticks, one still trailing the heavy chain and iron peg with which Umbridge had fastened them to the wall, were hurtling along the corridor towards their owners; they turned left, streaked down the stairs and stopped sharply in front of the twins, the chain clattering loudly on the flagged stone floor.

"We won't be seeing you," Fred told Professor Umbridge, swinging his leg over his broomstick.

"Yeah, don't bother to keep in touch," said George, mounting his own.

Fred looked around at the assembled students, at the silent, watchful crowd. "If anyone fancies buying a Portable Swamp, as demonstrated upstairs, come to number ninety-three, Diagon Alley - Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes," he said in a loud voice. "Our new premises!"

"Special discounts to Hogwarts students who swear they're going to use our products to get rid of this old bat," added George, pointing at Professor Umbridge.

"STOP THEM!" shrieked Umbridge, but it was too late. As the Inquisitorial Squad closed in, Fred and George kicked off from the floor, shooting fifteen feet into the air, the iron peg swinging dangerously below.

Fred looked across the hall at the poltergeist bobbing on his level above the crowd. "Give her hell from us, Peeves." George winked at Colin while Fred was speaking, who grinned back. And Peeves, who Harry had never seen take an order from a student before, swept his belled hat from his head and sprang to a salute as Fred and George wheeled about to tumultuous applause from the students below and sped out of the open front doors into the glorious sunset.

Colin glanced back at Umbridge who was standing on the steps, glaring at Harry who had moved to stand with Hermione, Ron and Colin, and knew they were all in for a lot of trouble.

And he couldn't wait.

**TBC**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

The story of Fred and George's flight to freedom was retold so often over the next few days that everyone could tell it would soon become the stuff of Hogwarts legend: within a week, even those who had been eye-witnesses were half-convinced they had seen the twins dive-bomb Umbridge on their brooms and pelt her with Dungbombs before zooming out of the doors. In the immediate aftermath of their departure there was a great wave of talk about copying them. Students were frequently heard saying things like, "Honestly some days I just feel like jumping on my broom and leaving this place," or else, "One more lesson like that and I might just do a Weasley." Fred and George had made sure nobody was likely to forget them too soon. For one thing, they had not left instructions on how to remove the swamp that now filled the corridor on the fifth floor of the east wing. Umbridge and Filch had been observed trying different means of removing it but without success. Eventually the area was roped off and Filch, gnashing his teeth furiously, was given the task of punting students across it to their classrooms. Teachers like McGonagall or Flitwick could have removed the swamp in an instant but, just as in the case of Fred and Georges Wildfire Whiz-bangs, they seemed to prefer to watch Umbridge struggle.

Then there were the two large broom-shaped holes in Umbridge's office door, through which Fred and George's Cleansweeps had smashed to rejoin their masters. Filch fitted a new door and removed Harry's Firebolt to the dungeons where, it was rumored, Umbridge had set an armed security troll to guard it. However, her troubles were far from over.

Inspired by Fred and George's example, a great number of students were now vying for the newly vacant positions of Troublemakers-in-Chief. In spite of the new door, somebody managed to slip a hairy-snouted Niffler into Umbridge's office, which promptly tore the place apart in its search for shiny objects, leapt on Umbridge when she entered and tried to gnaw the rings off her stubby fingers. Dungbombs and Stink Pellets were dropped so frequently in the corridors that it became the new fashion for students to perform Bubble-Head Charms on themselves before leaving lessons, which ensured them a supply of fresh air, even though it gave them all the peculiar appearance of wearing upside-down goldfish bowls on their heads.

Filch prowled the corridors with a horsewhip ready in his hands, desperate to catch miscreants, but the problem was that there were now so many of them he never knew which way to turn. The Inquisitorial Squad was attempting to help him, but odd things kept happening to its members.

Warrington of the Slytherin Quidditch team reported to the hospital wing with a horrible skin complaint that made him look as though he had been coated in corn flakes; Pansy Parkinson, to Hermiones delight, missed all her lessons the following day as she had sprouted antlers. Meanwhile, it became clear just how many Skiving Snackboxes Fred and George had managed to sell before leaving Hogwarts. Umbridge only had to enter her classroom for the students assembled there to faint, vomit, develop dangerous fevers or else spout blood from both nostrils.

Shrieking with rage and frustration, she attempted to trace the mysterious symptoms to their source, but the students told her stubbornly they were suffering from 'Umbridge -itis'. After putting four successive classes in detention and failing to discover their secret, she was forced to give up and allow the bleeding, swooning, sweating and vomiting students to leave her classes in droves.

But not even the users of the Snackboxes could compete with that master of chaos, Peeves, who seemed to have taken Fred's parting words deeply to heart. Cackling madly, he soared through the school, upending tables, bursting out of blackboards, toppling statues and vases; twice he shut Mrs. Norris inside a suit of armor, from which she was rescued, yowling loudly, by the furious caretaker. Peeves smashed lanterns and snuffed out candles, juggled burning torches over the heads of screaming students, caused neatly stacked piles of parchment to topple into fires or out of windows; flooded the second floor when he pulled off all the taps in the bathrooms, dropped a bag of tarantulas in the middle of the Great Hall during breakfast and, whenever he fancied a break, spent hours at a time floating along after Umbridge and blowing loud raspberries every time she spoke.

None of the staff but Filch seemed to be stirring themselves to help her. Indeed, a week after Fred and George's departure Colin witnessed Professor McGonagall walking right past Peeves, who was determinedly loosening a crystal chandelier, and could have sworn he heard her tell the poltergeist out of the corner of her mouth, "It unscrews the other way."

* * *

Soon after all the chaos had began to settle down, the next quidditch match was scheduled and Gryffindor was set to play against Ravenclaw.

Colin wasn't going to go to the match, instead he set off with Kil at his heels, into the Forbidden Forest, looking for Excalibur. He had found it in his spirit body, but had no idea how far it was from the school, as one travels very differently in a spirit body to a physical body. After about an hour of tripping and stumbling about, Colin gave up, turned around and headed back out, just in time to return to the quidditch match as every figure dressed in red and gold burst into cheering and singing.

He joined the crowds effortlessly, singing along and celebrating as if he had always been there the entire time. He noticed Hermione and Harry do the same moments later, covered in scratches, dirt and leaves.

_'Interesting.'_ Colin thought.

_'We weren't the only ones searching the forest.'_ Kil added from atop Colin's shoulders, around his neck.

_'I wonder why they were there?'_

* * *

After the match, every fifth year suddenly was found studying and doing nothing else. Colin kept up appearances, studying when others were, but spent most of the time staring at the pages, occasionally turning a page and not even reading, sending his magic out over the forest and beyond in a desperate attempt to find Dumbledore. He had managed to keep contact with the man up until three weeks ago, and then the man had disappeared off of Colin's radar.

Their first exam came and went, and Colin made up a lot of answers for the theory of Charms exam. The practical, he didn't care, he was going to fail most of them anyway, since he was avoiding using magic anyway.

He went through the rest of his exams with the rest, playing the docile student he was meant to be, until that night, he felt a flash of magic in the forest. He had no problems about ditching the astronomy exam, telling Harry he had a migraine, and was going to get something and would meet him at the tower, with no regrets at lying or missing the exam. He hurried out across the fields, keeping to the shadows as the sun began to set. After searching the forest for while and finding nothing, Colin turned back to head up to the castle, admitting defeat. He came to the edge of the forest and watched as the doors opened and five or six elongated shadows moving over the brightly lit grass before the doors swung shut and the lawn became a sea of darkness once more.

The one leading the group walked suspiciously like Umbridge.

The group of them stopped at Hagrid's hut and knocked. His dog barked, and Colin heard as Hagrid hushed Fang and opened the door. The

Colin knew this was going to go bad, and didn't want to get caught, but was itching to help out. He was getting sick of not doing anything, of repressing his magic.

_'It's time Umbridge had someone to be scared of. And when Voldemort sense you, he'll just have a reason to doubt his invincibility.'_ Kil suddenly appeared.

_'Freak her out while sending him a warning that Emrys is here and fighting with the good guys?'_ Colin sent back, asking.

_'Use the aging spell.'_

Colin grinned and whispered the incantation.

Once his shoulders had slumped over, his skin sagged and his hair grew grey and scraggly, Colin hobbled forward from the trees and up to Hagrid's hut.  
There was a bang, just as he came within fifty metres of the hut and the door burst open. Hagrid burst out, as the six other figures followed, attempting to stun him. McGonagall appeared from the castle and started to fire back, as Hagrid growled and protested to being arrested.

"How dare you?" She screeched, sprinting across as she fired her own stunning spells back. "Leave him alone! Alone, I say!" McGonagall demanded. "On what grounds are you attacking him? He has done nothing, nothing to warrant such -" She collapsed as four stunners hit her, and Colin appeared into the light streaming from Hagrid's hut in the otherwise dark yard.

"COWARDS!" bellowed Hagrid, his voice carring clearly to the top of the tower, and several lights flickered back on inside the castle. "RUDDY COWARDS! HAVE SOME O' THAT - AN' THAT -" Hagrid took two massive swipes at his closest attackers; judging by their immediate collapse, they had been knocked cold. Hagrid doubled over, and was then standing again with Fang's limp body was draped around his shoulders.

"Get him, get him!" screamed Umbridge, but her remaining helper seemed highly reluctant to go within reach of Hagrid's fists; indeed, he was backing away so fast he tripped over one of his unconscious colleagues and fell over. Hagrid had turned and begun to run with Fang still hung around his neck. Umbridge sent one last Stunning Spell after him but it missed; and Hagrid, running full-pelt towards the distant gates, disappeared into the darkness.  
Umbridge screamed with frustration, as her helpers began to wake and struggle to their feet. She turned and saw Colin standing there.

"Who the hell are you?" she snapped.

"Who am I? Why, I should be asking, who are you to be deciding the right of who lives and who is arrested? Who are you to drive someone from their home and nearly murder an innocent woman who came to the defence of her friend and then demand who I am? I'll tell you who you are, you're a meanie. An absolute nincompoop who doesn't deserve a wand."

His eyes flashed gold and the wand flew out of her hand.

"As for who I am, I am the most powerful man you will ever meet and -" Colin began, but was cut off as a helper sent a stunner at him. It hit, and tingled all over his body. When the red light faded, he glared at the man, ignoring the shocked looks that he had remained standing after getting hit by a stunner.

"That wasn't very nice." He muttered, before shouting some nonsense and flinging a hand up. All the helpers flew backwards and was knocked out. "Listen to me girl and listen well," Colin spat at Umbridge, "I am the most powerful man there has ever been and you better do well to heed my words. I am Emrys, and I have judged you by your actions and decided you a despicable, incapable, horrible woman, and one day you shall pay for your actions."

With that, Colin disappeared. Well, he teleported himself into Snape's office.

Snape had his wand up against his throat in seconds.

Colin's eyes flashed and he faded back into his teenage self. "Hi Snape."

"Morgan, what do you want? I just got back from a meeting." Snape sighed.

"I know, you missed all the excitement. Umbridge went after Hagrid with five aurors, and Hagrid fought back. McGonagall went to the rescue and got shot with four stunners, and is now being taken into the infirmary, and then most likely St Mungos. I freaked Umbridge out by appearing as an old man, claiming she was screwed cause I am Emrys and think she is horrible. I need you to go back to Voldemort tomorrow night and tell him an old man appeared as Emrys and threatened Umbridge, and tell him he is the real deal."

"Is Minerva OK?"

"I laid some healing spells on her, that will help the healers at St Mungos heal her, so with time she should be fine." Colin reassured him.

"Whatever." Snape shrugged. "I'll report it to him tomorrow."

"Thank you." Colin then disappeared and reappeared in his bed, and pretended to be asleep. Everyone else turned up hours later, after having stayed up late talking in the common room, waiting for news on McGonagall. He felt curious eyes on him, but stayed still, snoring slightly with Kil on his pillow next to his head.

"He's asleep, we'll tell him tomorrow." Ron whispered, causing Harry to sigh and move into bed.

Colin sighed silently into the darkness. Things were moving now, whether everyone was ready or not.

**TBC**


	18. Chapter 18

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I hope you have all had a fabulous holiday, and I wish you all a Happy New Year (sorry it is a day late). I hope you enjoy this chapter :) Please read and review.**

**Chapter 18**

Colin ditched the History of Magic exam in favour of heading out to the forest, to find the centaurs who had been calling out to him for hours now. It took thirty minutes to get deep enough into the forest for the centaurs to approach him.

"Emyrs." The first centuar spoke.

"Hello," Colin grinned, "Nice to meet you all. You are known as?"

"Our names are not important. Heed our words, Emrys, the time is coming to fight and reveal yourself, but not without Arthur, and not now." the centaur warned.

"There will be a fight soon." Another centaur spoke up.

"Do not reveal yourself."

"Do not interfere."

"Do not ruin all chances by exposing your magic to the Dark Lord."

Colin frowned as the centaurs in the herd all warned him and nodded slowly. "OK, I understand, and appreciate your warnings. Thank you." Colin waited until they had all left, some bowing as they did so, others just turning tail and disappearing, then began the hike back to the castle.

He managed to get all the way to the doors, and into the Great Hall when Snape appeared, looking slightly worried, and slightly flustered.

"There you are." Snape hissed, gripping his arm tightly and dragging him through the corridors to an empty classroom.

"What, what happened?" Colin asked, sensing the urgency in the older man's stride and body.

"Potter broke into Umbridge's office to use her fire to speak to Grimauld place." Snape began explaining, "She called me there for truth potion, and I had none to give. Potter, in all his inspiring wisdom said to me in front of her that Moony had Padfoot, which are ridiculous nicknames that Sirius Black used and his friends when at Hogwarts."

"Who is Moony?" Colin asked, sensing where this was going.

"Wormtail, who works for the Dark Lord. He has Sirius, supposedly. How Potter would know, I don't know,"

"He's planted it into Harry's mind, to draw him out to him. Whether he actually has Sirius or not is the question." Colin bit his lip, considered his options and swore under his breath. "I'll have to go after him. Umbridge still has him?"

"She took Potter and Granger out of the castle, into the forest for some reason. There are a few other students being held in her office by Malfoy and his squad." Snape told him.

"OK, can you get to where Dumbledore is?" Colin asked Snape.

"Yes, but it will take a bit of time." Snape nodded.

"Good, get him, tell him what has happened, and tell him we will be at the Ministry of Magic, fighting the Dark Lord and to please come help, because I can't use my magic in front of him, and I don't particularly want anyone to die." Colin ordered, before rushing off.

"Where are you going?" Snape tried to call, but was ignored. He looked like he wanted to set something on fire for a moment, then turned and began walking out of the Hall, so he could apparate to where Dumbledore was hiding.

* * *

Colin was in front of Umbridge's office in minutes, and flung open the door, wand gripped in his hand (for appearances) only to find the students that were supposedly prisoners battling for their freedom. Ginny, Luna, Neville and Ron were struggling against the four slytherin left, and appearing to be slowly but surely winning.

Colin grinned as Ginny hexed two of them at the same time, and Neville stunned another, causing him to fall backwards.

"Where did Harry and Hermione go?" Colin asked Ron, as they stopped fighting, all the slythering unconscious or bound.

"Out. She told Umbridge that they were in here to contact Dumbledore, to tell him his weapon we had been building was ready." Ron told Colin.

"Did Harry find out whether what he saw and heard was real or not?" Colin asked.

"How did you know about that?" Ron asked. He then shook his head, "I don't know, I think it is true, he tried to tell Snape without telling Umbridge, but I don't think he understood."

"They're out in the forest, go find them, help them. I'll be along soon." Colin told Ron, who nodded and left with Ginny, Luna and Neville.

Colin used the fireplace to travel to 13 Grimauld place and ignored the urge to cough as he stepped out in the kitchen. Molly was now at the stove.

"Mrs Weasley." Colin began.

"Colin? What?" she stuttered, gasping in shock.

"I have no time to explain, is Sirius here?" Colin asked.

"What?"

"Please, it is important. Is he here?" Colin repeated.

"Of course I am, where else would I be?" Sirius spoke from the doorway, having heard Molly talking and came to investigate.

"Shit." Colin swore. "Listen, the Dark Lord has planted a vision in Harry's head, that he has you and is torturing you. He got to Umbridge's fire to check, and must've found no one here and jumped to conclusions, because he thinks you are now a prisoner. I'm going back to school to stop him from rushing off to fight, but you need to gather members to fight, incase he has already left. I'll send a message to let you know if you're needed or not. I have no more time to explain, you just have to believe me and do it." Colin ordered in a rush, then turned back to the fire.

Sirius nodded once and turned on his heel to contact Lupin and other members.

Colin was back in Hogwarts in seconds, and was running down the corridor in seconds, rushing out to the forest.

'_They left on thestrals.'_ Kil informed him, appearing at his heels, easily running along side his human companion.

'_We'll just have to go after them.'_ Colin replied, aware that while he had been pushing the limits with his magic, using it here and there, especially to rescue Mr Weasley, with Voldemort waiting for Harry, and keeping watch for an attack, he couldn't even risk a small spell, let alone another teleportation spell.

Within a few minutes he was in the forest, sending his mind out for a thestral to carry him. He found one, and pressed forward with his mind, requesting her help. She accepted, and appeared in the bushes next to him, as he skidded to a stop. He climbed on and they were off, with him crouched low over the thestral's neck.

The short flight was the longest wait Colin had ever experienced, as he soared over rooftops and finally landed near the Ministry of Magic's entrance. He quickly thanked the thestral, who moved to stand with the others still in the square, and entered the phonebox that emitted magic. He nudged it with his mind, and it lowered him into the building below.

The lack of people inside, students or otherwise, made Colin worry and run through the halls to the lift. Colin entered the lift and was soon on his way down to where he had rescued Mr Weasley from just before christmas. He found the black door, the ominous and evil-looking one, and went in to find himself standing in a large, circular room. Everything in the room was black including the floor and ceiling; identical, unmarked, handleless black doors were set at intervals all around the black walls, interspersed with branches of candles whose flames burned blue; their cool, shimmering light reflected in the shining marble floor made it look as though there was dark water underfoot.

He didn't shut the door, getting the sense something would happen, and examined the three red-gold crosses on the doors.

"So they went in these ones, and didn't believe them to be the right ones." Colin muttered out loud. He stood at one of the crossed doors and pushed, a little annoyed it wouldn't open. "So they leave this one, unable to open it, and would've hopefully gone in the one next door." Colin muttered, turning to the door and pushing it open.

Inside was the room was lit by a beautiful, dancing, diamond-sparkling light. Once Colin's eyes adjusted to the glare, especially after the dark room beforehand, he could see the clocks that were gleaming from every surface, large and small, grandfather and carriage, hanging in spaces between the bookcases or standing on desks ranging the length of the room, so that a busy, relentless ticking filled the place like thousands of minuscule, marching footsteps. The source of the dancing, diamond-bright light was a towering crystal ball jar that stood at the far end of the room. Colin picked his way through the narrow space between desks and clocks, and walked past the crystal ball jar, slowing down to study it, but his magic nudged him and he forced himself to keep moving.

"This is why I don't like the Ministry." Colin mumbled, reaching the door and pushing it open, to find the room massive, and filled with shleves upon shelves covered in small dusty glass orbs. They glimmered dully in the light issuing from more candle-brackets set at intervals along the shelves. Like those in the circular room behind them, their flames were burning blue. Colin shivered at the coldness that radiated all around the room, making him cold, but also his magic. The feeling ran over his arms and made his magic rise to his fingertips, ready for anything.

With a lot of struggle, Colin shoved it back down, and pulled out his wand, aware that the few spells he learnt through the wand may be helpful, and that he could use this magic, as Voldemort would just sense a normal wizard's magic.

Colin stood at the door, and sent his magic out in all directions, searching for the warmth that came from other wizards and witches. He felt it coming from his right, and he walked quickly down the corridor, ignoring the whispering that came from each orb. He kept his ears all but deaf to the world, in an attempt to keep the whispering words out, and it helped a little. But it also deafened him to the real world, where he should have been able to hear Harry talking.

As it was, he realised he had found not only Harry and the people who had gone with him, but also Death Eaters, Voldemort's followers, who had surrounded the group of students at one of the shelves. Colin repressed the urge to swear at the sight of the orb in Harry's hand, and the Death Eater talking to him, hand out, asking for the orb.

"Where's Sirius?" Harry asked, almost desperately.

Several of the Death Eaters laughed; a harsh female voice from the midst of the shadowy figures to Harry's left said triumphantly, "The Dark Lord always knows!"

"Always," echoed Malfoy softly. "Now, give me the prophecy Potter."

"I want to know where Sirius is!"

"I want to know where Sirius is!" mimicked the woman to his left. She and her fellow Death Eaters had closed in so that they were mere feet away from Harry and the others.

Colin began edging around the group, to stand behind Harry's group on the other side of the shelf.

"You've got him," said Harry, panic growing in his voice, "He's here. I know he is."

"The little baby woke up fwightened and fort what it dweamed was twoo," said the woman in a horrible, mock baby voice.

Colin didn't hear what Harry said to Ron next to him, but he heard the woman screech with laughter as she said, "You hear him? You hear him? Giving instructions to the other children as though he thinks of fighting us!"

"Oh, you don't know Potter as I do, Bellatrix," said Malfoy softly. "He has a great weakness for heroics; the Dark Lord understands this about him. Now give me the prophecy, Potter."

"I know Sirius is here," Harry insisted. "I know you've got him!"

More of the Death Eaters laughed, though the woman laughed loudest of all.

"It's time you learned the difference between life and dreams, Potter," said Malfoy. "Now give me the prophecy, or we start using wands."

"Go on, then," said Harry, raising his own wand to chest height. As he did so, the five wands of Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny and Luna rose on either side of him. Colin leaned forward as much he could without being seen, and used his wand to poke between the orbs and hit whoever was closest, which happened to be Luna.

"Knock over the shelves, when Harry says to." Colin muttered into her ear, under his breath so the Death Eaters didn't hear. "Tell him not to drop the orb he has, or to lose it."

Luna didn't respond, but moments later, while Harry was laughing, almost hysterically with fear and disbelief, she was whispering into Neville's ear.

"Yeah, right!" he said. "I give you this - prophecy, is it? And you'll just let us skip off home, will you?"

The words were hardly out of his mouth when the female Death Eater shrieked: "Accio proph—"

Harry was just ready for her: he shouted "Protego!" before she had finished her spell, and Colin breathed a silent sigh of relief has he maintained his grip on the orb.

"Oh, he knows how to play, little bitty baby Potter," she said, her mad eyes staring through the slits in her hood. "Very well, then -"

"I TOLD YOU, NO!" Lucius Malfoy roared at the woman. "If you smash it -!"

The woman stepped forward, away from her fellows, and pulled off her hood. Azkaban had hollowed Bellatrix Lestrange's face, making it gaunt and skull-like, but it was alive with a feverish, fanatical glow. "You need more persuasion?" she said, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "Very well - take the smallest one," she ordered the Death Eaters beside her. "Let him watch while we torture the little girl. I'll do it."

Colin watched as they all closed in around Ginny, giving Luna and Neville the chance to spread the plan.

"You'll have to smash this if you want to attack any of us," Harry told Bellatrix. "I don't think your boss will be too pleased if you come back without it, will he?"

She did not move; she merely stared at him, the tip of her tongue moistening her thin mouth.

"So," said Harry, "what kind of prophecy are we talking about, anyway?"

"What kind of prophecy?" repeated Bellatrix, the grin fading from her face. "You jest, Harry Potter."

"Nope, not jesting," said Harry, his eyes flicking from Death Eater to Death Eater, looking for a weak link, a space through which they could escape. "How come Voldemort wants it?"

Several of the Death Eaters let out low hisses.

"You dare speak his name?" whispered Bellatrix.

"Yeah," said Harry, maintaining his tight grip on the glass ball, expecting another attempt to bewitch it from him. "Yeah, I've got no problem with saying Vol—"

"Shut your mouth!" Bellatrix shrieked. "You dare speak his name with your unworthy lips, you dare besmirch it with your half-blood's tongue, you dare -"

"Did you know he's a half-blood too?" said Harry recklessly. Hermione gave a little moan in his ear. "Voldemort? Yeah, his mother was a witch but his dad was a Muggle - or has he been telling you lot he's pure-blood?"

"STUPEF—"

"NO!"

A jet of red light had shot from the end of Bellatrix Lestrange's wand, but Malfoy had deflected it; his spell caused hers to hit the shelf a foot to the left of Harry and several of the glass orbs there shattered.

Two figures, pearly-white as ghosts, fluid as smoke, unfurled themselves from the fragments of broken glass upon the floor and each began to speak; their voices vied with each other, so that only fragments of what they were saying could be heard over Malfoy and Bellatrix's shouts. "… at the solstice will come a new…" said the figure of an old, bearded man.

"DO NOT ATTACK! WE NEED THE PROPHECY!"

Colin watched as Hermione whispered into Harry's ear, as the Death Eaters yelled at each other and the two shadowy figures talked over each other.

"He dared - he dares -" shrieked Bellatrix incoherently, "he stands there - filthy half-blood -"

"WAIT UNTIL WE'VE GOT THE PROPHECY!" bawled Malfoy.

Colin watched as Harry nodded, and he moved away from the shelf, to the aisle, behind the Death Eaters, wand ready, waiting for Harry's order.

"… and none will come after…" said the figure of a young woman.

The two figures that had burst from the shattered spheres had melted into thin air. Nothing remained of them or their erstwhile homes but fragments of glass upon the floor.

"You haven't told me what's so special about this prophecy I'm supposed to be handing over," Harry continued to play for time.

"Do not play games with us, Potter," said Malfoy.

"I'm not playing games," said Harry, his figures gripping the orb in one hand, while his other squeezed his wand tightly.

"Dumbledore never told you the reason you bear that scar was hidden in the bowels of the Department of Mysteries?" Malfoy sneered.

"I - what?" said Harry. "What about my scar?"

"Can this be?" said Malfoy, sounding maliciously delighted; some of the Death Eaters were laughing again.

"Dumbledore never told you?" Malfoy repeated. "Well, this explains why you didn't come earlier, Potter, the Dark Lord wondered why you didn't come running when he showed you the place where it was hidden in your dreams. He thought natural curiosity would make you want to hear the exact wording."

"Did he?" said Harry, trying to figure out the perfect moment to run, while also trying to get the answers he now desperately wanted out of the Death Eater in front of him. "So he wanted me to come and get it, did he? Why?"

"Why?" Malfoy sounded incredulously delighted. "Because the only people who are permitted to retrieve a prophecy from the Department of Mysteries, Potter, are those about whom it was made, as the Dark Lord discovered when he attempted to use others to steal it for him."

"And why did he want to steal a prophecy about me?"

"About both of you, Potter, about both of you… haven't you ever wondered why the Dark Lord tried to kill you as a baby?"

Colin supressed the urge to moan as Harry continued to talk and become distracted. from the plan. "Someone made a prophecy about Voldemort and me?" Harry said quietly, gazing at Lucius Malfoy, his fingers tightening over the warm glass sphere in his hand. "And he's made me come and get it for him? Why couldn't he come and get it himself?"

"Get it himself?" shrieked Bellatrix, over a cackle of mad laughter. "The Dark Lord, walk into the Ministry of Magic, when they are so sweetly ignoring his return? The Dark Lord, reveal himself to the Aurors, when at the moment they are wasting their time on my dear cousin?"

"So, he's got you doing his dirty work for him, has he?" said Harry. "Like he tried to get Sturgis to steal it - and Bode?"

"Very good, Potter, very good…" said Malfoy slowly. "But the Dark Lord knows you are not unintell—"

"NOW!" yelled Harry.

Five different voices behind him bellowed, "REDUCTO!" Five curses flew in five different directions and the shelves opposite them exploded as they hit; the towering structure swayed as a hundred glass spheres burst apart, pearly-white figures unfurled into the air and floated there, their voices echoing from who knew what long-dead past amid the torrent of crashing glass and splintered wood now raining down upon the floor.

"RUN!" Harry yelled, as the shelves swayed precariously and more glass spheres began to fall from above. He seized a handful of Hermione's robes and dragged her forwards, holding one arm over his head as chunks of shelf and shards of glass thundered down upon them. A Death Eater lunged forwards through the cloud of dust , but collapsed to the ground, revealing Colin standing there with his wand out, a determined look on his face.

**TBC**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

They were all yelling, the Death Eaters,there were cries of pain, and thunderous crashes as the shelves collapsed upon themselves, weirdly echoing fragments of the Seers unleashed from their spheres - Colin gripped Hermione's arm and dragged her with him, as everyone else followed him back to the room. Ron, Ginny and Luna were slightly ahead, and turned the wrong way, but Colin had no time to go after them, just continued running with Hermione, as Harry and Neville followed.

Colin spun and sent a stunning spell at the Death Eater about to grab Neville, as Hermione did the same for Harry.

The door through which they had come was ajar; they could all see the glittering light of the bell jar, and they all sprinted through the doorway, the last person in, Neville, slamming the door shut and Hermione wasted no time in sealing it shut with a spell.

"Where - where are the others?" gasped Harry.

"They went the wrong way." Colin huffed, before turning to Harry. "Pass me the prophecy."

Harry frowned at him and kept it clutched to his chest. "This has the answers to why my parents are dead, I'm not just going to give it up."

"We don't have time for this Harry, I can keep it safe, just hand it over." Colin groaned.

"No." Harry insisted, "We need to find Luna, Ron and Ginny." Harry moved further into the room, just as they heard footsteps approach the door.

They all heard Lucius Malfoy roar, "Leave Nott, leave him, I say — his injuries will be nothing to the Dark Lord compared to losing that prophecy. Jugson, come back here, we need to organize! We'll split into pairs and search, and don't forget, be gentle with Potter until we've got the prophecy, you can kill the others if necessary - Bellatrix, Rodolphus, you take the left; Crabbe, Rabastan, go right -Jugson, Dolohov, the door straight ahead - Macnair and Avery, through here - Rookwood, over there - Mulciber, come with me!"

"What do we do?" Hermione asked Harry and then glanced at Colin, trembling from head to foot.

"Well, we don't stand here waiting for them to find us, for a start," said Harry. "Let's get away from this door." They ran as quietly as they could, past the shimmering bell jar where the tiny egg was hatching and unhatching, towards the exit into the circular hallway at the far end of the room. They were almost there when Harry heard something large and heavy collide with the door Hermione had charmed shut.

Colin swore under his breath, and whispered, "Hide."

They all ducked under desks as they heard a voice charm the door open and enter the room. They could all see the bottom of the two Death Eaters' robes drawing nearer, their feet moving rapidly.

"They might've run straight through to the hall," said the rough voice.

"Check under the desks," said another.

Colin heard Harry stun one, and jumped up, sending a stunning spell in the direction of the other, and cursed when it missed.

A jet of red light hit the nearest Death Eater; to Harry he fell backwards into a grandfather clock and knocked it over; the second Death Eater, however, had leapt aside to avoid Harry's spell and was pointing his own wand at Hermione, who was crawling out from under the desk to get a better aim.

"Avada -

Colin launched himself across the floor and tackled the Death Eater, giving up on his wand for the moment. Neville overturned a desk in his anxiety to help; and pointed his wand wildly at the struggling pair, he cried: "EXPELLIARMUS!"

Both Colin's and the Death Eater's wands flew out of their hands and soared back towards the entrance to the Hall of Prophecy. The Death Eater tried to scramble to his feet to go after it, while Colin didn't bother, just clung on, trying to wrestle with the man.

"Get out of the way, Colin" yelled Neville, clearly determined to repair the damage his first spell had caused. Colin flung himself away, and Neville re-aimed, shouting "STUPEFY!"

The jet of red light had flown right over the Death Eater's shoulder and hit a glass-fronted cabinet on the wall full of variously shaped hour-glasses; the cabinet fell to the floor and burst apart, glass flying everywhere, sprang back up on to the wall, fully mended, then fell down again, and shattered. Colin shuddered as he felt the magic changing and the waves radiating from the broken clock and ignored it as best he could as the Death Eater had snatched up his wand, which lay on the floor beside the glittering bell jar.

As the Death Eater turned to stun them, Hermione appeared, and stunned him, causing the man to freeze in place, his arm still raised, his wand fell to the floor with a clatter and he collapsed backwards towards the bell jar. They all watched as instead of the man hitting solid glass, and sliding off to the floor, his head sank through the bell jar as if it wasn't there.

"Time. It is a terrible curse, and a power that no one, magical or otherwise, should play with." Colin spoke quietly, as the other three teenagers turned to watch the Death Eater's head in the jar. It was shrinking very fast, growing balder and balder, the black hair and stubble retracting into his skull; his cheeks becoming smooth, his skull round and covered with a peachlike fuzz. A baby's head now sat grotesquely on top of the thick, muscled neck of the Death Eater as he struggled to get up again; but even as they watched, their mouths open, the head began to swell to its previous proportions again; thick black hair was sprouting from the pate and chin.

"Oh god." Hermione breathed.

The Death Eater shook his ugly head again, trying to clear it, but before he could pull himself together it began to shrink back to babyhood once more.  
There was a shout from a room nearby, then a crash and a scream.

"RON?" Harry yelled, turning quickly from the monstrous transformation taking place before them. "GINNY? LUNA?"

"We have to run. Let's go." Colin grabbed Neville's arm and dragged him away. Hermione and Harry followed, as they all ignored the Death Eater struggling to his feet, with his tiny baby's head bawling loudly on top of his adult body.

They ran back towards the black hallway, and had managed to get halfway towards it, when two more Death Eaters entered through the exit they were running to. They veered as a group to the left and burst into a cluttered office room, slamming the door shut.

The Death Eaters burst in before the door could be sealed and with a cry of triumph, both yelled:

"IMPEDIMENTA!"

Harry, Hermione and Neville were all knocked backwards off their feet; Neville was thrown over the desk and disappeared from view; Hermione smashed into a bookcase and was promptly deluged in a cascade of heavy books; the back of Harry's head slammed into the stone wall behind him, tiny lights burst in front of his eyes and for a moment he was too dizzy and bewildered to react.

"WE'VE GOT HIM!" yelled the Death Eater nearest Harry. "IN AN OFFICE OFF—"

Colin had managed to duck to the side, out of the firing line and managed to jump onto the back of the one that had started to yell. He flailed as the Death Eater tried to throw him off, but fell backwards as the Death Eater toppled over, as Harry had managed to stun him.

"Silencio!" cried Hermione, getting the other Death Eater in the chest, causing him to mouth words through his mask, but no words were heard.  
Colin got up, as Hermione congratulated Harry on his spell, but was cut off, as the silenced Death Eater cast a non-verbal spell, slashing a purple flame across her chest, causing her to collapse backwards.

"HERMIONE!"

Harry fell to his knees beside her as Neville crawled rapidly towards her from under the desk, his wand held up in front of him. The Death Eater kicked out hard at Neville's head as he emerged - his foot broke Neville's wand in two and connected with his face. Neville gave a howl of pain and recoiled, clutching his mouth and nose. Harry twisted around, his own wand held high, and saw that the Death Eater had ripped off his mask and was pointing his wand directly at Harry, who recognized the long, pale, twisted face from the Daily Prophet: Antonin Dolohov, the wizard who had murdered the Prewetts. Dolohov grinned. With his free hand, he pointed from the prophecy still clutched in Harrys hand, to himself, then at Hermione. Though he could no longer speak, his meaning could not have been clearer. Give me the prophecy, or you get the same as her…

"Like you won't kill us all anyway, the moment I hand it over!" said Harry.

"Whaddever you do, Harry," said Neville fiercely from under the desk, lowering his hands to show a clearly broken nose and blood pouring down his mouth and chin, "don'd gib it to him!"

Then there was a crash outside the door and Dolohov looked over his shoulder - the baby-headed Death Eater had appeared in the doorway, his head bawling, his great fists still flailing uncontrollably at everything around him. Harry seized his chance:

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!"

The spell hit Dolohov before he could block it and he toppled forwards across his comrade, both of them rigid as boards and unable to move an inch.

"Hermione," Harry said at once, shaking her as the baby-headed Death Eater blundered out of sight again. "Hermione, wake up…"

"Whad did he do to her?" said Neville, crawling out from under the desk to kneel at her other side, blood streaming from his rapidly swelling nose.

"I dunno…"

Neville groped for Hermione's wrist.

"Dat's a pulse, Harry, I'b sure id is."

Such a powerful wave of relief swept through Harry that for a moment he felt light-headed.

"She's alive?"

"Yeah, I dink so."

There was a pause in which Harry listened hard for the sound of more footsteps, but all he could hear were the whimpers and blunderings of the baby-headed Death Eater in the next room.

"Neville, we're not far from the exit," Harry whispered, "we're right next to that circular room… if we can just get you across it and find the right door before any more Death Eaters come, I'll bet you can get Hermione up the corridor and into the lift… then you could find someone… raise the alarm…"

"And whad are you going do do?" said Neville, mopping his bleeding nose with his sleeve and frowning at Harry.

"I've got to find the others," said Harry.

"Well, I'b going do find dem wid you," said Neville firmly.

"But Hermione —"

"We'll dake her wid us," said Neville firmly. "I'll carry her — you're bedder at fighding dem dan I ab -" He stood up and seized one of Hermione's arms, glaring at Harry, who hesitated, then grabbed the other and helped hoist Hermione's limp form over Neville's shoulders.

"Wait," said Harry, snatching up Hermione's wand from the floor and shoving it into Neville's hand, "you'd better take this."

Neville kicked aside the broken fragments of his own wand as they walked slowly towards the door.

"My gran's going do kill be," said Neville thickly, blood spattering from his nose as he spoke, "dat was by dad's old wand."

"Wait, where's Colin?" Harry asked, realising the boy was absent. There was no sign of him, and the pair of boys carrying Hermione had no choice but to move on.

* * *

Colin had left once it was clear they could handle the Death Eaters in the room, and crept through the rooms. He was soon out in the corridor, and sprinting to the lift. He made it to the doors, which opened to reveal Sirius, Lupin, Moody, Tonks and Kingsley.

"About bloody time." Colin huffed, "This way." He turned and ran back, with the five members of the Order following.

He used his magic to find the teens again, to find Bellatrix torturing Neville, which caused a rush of fury to spread through Colin's body, and Harry was standing with the prophecy in his hands, as Malfoy demanded it.

Malfoy turned as the door opened, and raised his wand, but Tonks had already sent a Stunning Spell right at him. Harry did not wait to see whether it had made contact, but dived off the dais out of the way.

The Death Eaters were completely distracted by the appearance of the members of the Order, who were now raining spells down upon them as they jumped from step to step towards the sunken floor. Through the darting bodies, the flashes of light, Colin could see Harry and Neville crawling towards each other, and started jumping and ducking down to them.

Colin had nearly reached them when a thick arm came out of nowhere, seized Harry around the neck and pulled him upright, so that his toes were barely touching the floor.

"Give it to me," growled a voice in his ear, "give me the prophecy -"

The man was pressing so tightly on Harry's windpipe that he could not breathe. Through watering eyes he saw Sirius dueling with a Death Eater some ten feet away; Kingsley was fighting two at once; Tonks, still halfway up the tiered seats, was firing spells down at Bellatrix - nobody seemed to realize that Harry was dying. He turned his wand backwards towards the man's side, but had no breath to utter an incantation, and the man's free hand was groping towards the hand in which Harry was grasping the prophecy -

"AARGH!" Neville had come lunging out of nowhere; unable to articulate a spell, he had jabbed Hermione's wand hard into the eyehole of the Death Eaters mask. The man relinquished Harry at once with a howl of pain. Harry whirled around to face him and gasped as the man suddenly collapsed forwards towards him. Colin stood behind him, having whacked him over the head with a bit of wood he'd picked up from the debris falling around them.

"Thanks!" Harry said to them both, just as Sirius and his Death Eater lurched past, dueling so fiercely that their wands were blurs; then Harry's foot made contact with something round and hard and he slipped. For a moment he thought he had dropped the prophecy, but then he saw Moody's magical eye spinning away across the floor. Its owner was lying on his side, bleeding from the head, and his attacker was now bearing down upon the three teens, his long pale face twisted with glee.

"Tarantallegra!" he shouted, his wand pointing at Neville, whose legs went immediately into a kind of frenzied tap-dance, unbalancing him and causing him to fall to the floor again. "Now, Potter -"

He made the same slashing movement with his wand that he had used on Hermione just as Harry yelled, "Protego!"

Harry felt something streak across his face like a blunt knife; the force of it knocked him sideways and he fell over Neville's jerking legs, but the Shield Charm had stopped the worst of the spell.

Colin didn't have such luxury, and fell backwards, as a searing pain burst through his chest. Kil appeared from nowhere, howling and hissing as he dug his claws into the Death Eater's face, stopping him from casting his spell. The Death Eater fell backwards off the steps, and fell down, unconscious, just as Kil jumped off and crouched over Colin.

'_What would you do without me?'_ Kil asked, as he healed Colin's chest and the boy was able to sit up. Colin grinned at the cat and stood to see Harry supporting Neville, trying to get out. Kil and Colin lunged forward as Malfoy gripped Harry's robes, trying to get the orb, and Colin reached out as Harry threw it to Neville, managing to catch it mid-throw, scrambling away from the Death Eater now glaring at him.

"Give me the blasted prophecy boy!" Malfoy spat. Kil jumped into him and pushed him off the steps, down onto the floor below.

'_RUN!'_ Kil screamed in Colin's mind, as he reached Harry and Neville. He helped support Neville as they climbed the steps up, only to fall back down one, as the stone bench crumbled from a spell. They readjusted their grip around Neville, who tried to control his legs but couldn't. A Death Eater approached them, as they struggled upwards, and Colin ducked out from under Neville's arm, the prophecy gripped in his hand. He dashing down a few steps and threw it down at his feet, smashing it on the ground. the pearly-white figure rose and recited the prophecy, but it went unheard, as the Death Eater screamed in frustration, and the yells, shouts, screams and crashed surrounded them.

"NO!" The Death Eater screamed, as Colin then rushed up and shoved him off the edge.

"Let's go!" Colin yelled at Harry, who stared in shock.

"You broke it!" Harry yelled, overcoming his shock.

"Dubbledore!" Neville interrupted, pointing up the steps.

"What?" Harry asked, turning to look up them. Directly above them, framed in the doorway from the Brain Room, stood Albus Dumbledore, his wand aloft, his face white and furious.

Dumbledore sped down the steps past Neville and Harry, who had no more thoughts of leaving. And past Colin, who was running back down into the fight as well, to help Kil and everyone else fight. Dumbledore was already at the foot of the steps when the Death Eaters nearest realized he was there and yelled to the others. One of the Death Eaters ran for it, scrabbling like a monkey up the stone steps opposite. Dumbledore's spell pulled him back as easily and effortlessly as though he had hooked him with an invisible line. Colin managed to knock another Death Eater over, causing him to hit his head and fall unconscious. Only one pair was still battling, apparently unaware of the new arrival. Sirius ducked Bellatrix's jet of red light as he was laughing at her.  
"Come on, you can do better than that!" he yelled, his voice echoing around the cavernous room.

The second jet of light hit him squarely on the chest.

The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock.

Colin watched as Harry released Neville, jumped down the steps, pulling his wand out, screaming out in pain and grief. Colin stood by and stayed out of the way as Lupin grabbed Harry and held him back.

It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall: his body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backwards through the ragged veil hanging from the arch. Sirius had a look of mingled fear and surprise on his face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind, then fell back into place.

Colin watched in surprise and shock as Bellatrix Lestrange screamed triumphantly, and couldn't bring himself to do anything as Harry began screaming and attacking Bellatrix. He turned towards the door as his magic pulsed, sensing the approaching dark wizard. He locked eyes with Dumbledore and knew the older man had sensed it too.

Voldemort was coming.

**TBC**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

No one reacted fast enough to stop Harry running after Bellatrix who had knocked Kingsley over and ran.

Colin followed a few seconds behind, but not close enough to reach the circular room before Harry and left and reached the lifts.

Colin groaned and had to wait for another lift.

By the time Colin was at the atrium, where Harry and Bellatrix was fighting, he heard them yelling back and forth, while sending spells at each other.

"Potter, I'm going to give you one chance!" shouted Bellatrix. "Give me the prophecy - roll it out towards me now - and I may spare your life!"

"Well, you're going to have to kill me, because it's gone!" Harry roared.

Colin felt sick with the arrival of the Dark Lord and threw himself to the side, out of sight, as the evil rolled over him, making him want to throw up.

Harry then began laughing madly, "And he knows! Your dear old mate Voldemort knows it's gone! He's not going to be happy with you, is he?"

"What? What do you mean?" she cried, and for the first time there was fear in her voice.

"The prophecy smashed when I was trying to get Neville up the steps! What do you think Voldemort'll say about that, then?"

"LIAR!" she shrieked, but he could hear the terror behind the anger now. "YOU'VE GOT IT, POTTER, AND YOU WILL GIVE IT TO ME! Accio prophecy! ACCIO PROPHECY!"

"Nothing there!" he shouted. "Nothing to summon! It smashed and nobody heard what it said, tell your boss that!"

"No!" she screamed. "It isn't true, you're lying! MASTER, I TRIED, I TRIED - DO NOT PUNISH ME"

"Don't waste your breath!" yelled Harry, his eyes screwed up against the pain in his scar, now more terrible than ever. "He can't hear you from here!"

"Can't I, Potter?" said a high, cold voice.

Colin peeked out to see the Dark Lord, standing in the middle of the hall. He was tall, thin and black-hooded, his terrible snakelike face white and gaunt, his scarlet, slit-pupilled eyes staring at Harry, as his wand was pointed at him as well.

"So, you smashed my prophecy?" said Voldemort softly, staring at Harry with those pitiless red eyes. "No, Bella, he is not lying… I see the truth looking at me from within his worthless mind… months of preparation, months of effort… and my Death Eaters have let Harry Potter thwart me again"

"Master, I am sorry I knew not, I was fighting the Animagus Black!" sobbed Bellatrix, flinging herself down at Voldemort's feet as he paced slowly nearer. "Master, you should know"

"Be quiet, Bella," said Voldemort dangerously. "I shall deal with you in a moment. Do you think I have entered the Ministry of Magic to hear your sniveling apologies?"

"But Master - he is here - he is below"

Voldemort paid no attention.

"I have nothing more to say to you, Potter," he said quietly. "You have irked me too often, for too long. AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The headless golden statue of the wizard in the fountain had sprung alive, leaping from its plinth to land with a crash on the floor between Harry and Voldemort. The spell merely glanced off its chest as the statue flung out its arms to protect Harry.

"What -?" cried Voldemort, staring around. And then he breathed, "Dumbledore!"

Colin breathed a sigh of relief as Dumbledore appeared and protected Harry.

Voldemort raised his wand and another jet of green light streaked at Dumbledore, who turned and was gone in a whirling of his cloak. Next second, he had reappeared behind Voldemort and waved his wand towards the remnants of the fountain. The other statues sprang to life. The statue of the witch ran at Bellatrix, who screamed and sent spells streaming uselessly off its chest, before it dived at her, pinning her to the floor. Meanwhile, the goblin and the house-elf scuttled towards the fireplaces set along the wall and the one-armed centaur galloped at Voldemort, who vanished and reappeared beside the pool. The headless statue thrust Harry backwards, away from the fight, as Dumbledore advanced on Voldemort and the golden centaur cantered around them both.

"It was foolish to come here tonight, Tom," said Dumbledore calmly. "The Aurors are on their way"

"By which time I shall be gone, and you will be dead!" spat Voldemort. He sent another killing curse at Dumbledore but missed, instead hitting the security guard's desk, which burst into flame.

Dumbledore flicked his own wand and a powerful spell emitted from it, causing Voldemort to conjure a shining silver shield out of thin air to deflect it. The spell, whatever it was, caused no visible damage to the shield, though a deep, gong-like note reverberated from it - an oddly chilling sound.

"You do not seek to kill me, Dumbledore?" called Voldemort, his scarlet eyes narrowed over the top of the shield. "Above such brutality, are you?"

"We both know that there are other ways of destroying a man, Tom," Dumbledore said calmly, continuing to walk towards Voldemort as though he had not a fear in the world, as though nothing had happened to interrupt his stroll up the hall. "Merely taking your life would not satisfy me, I admit"

"There is nothing worse than death, Dumbledore!" snarled Voldemort.

"You are quite wrong," said Dumbledore, still closing in upon Voldemort and speaking as lightly as though they were discussing the matter over drinks.

"Indeed, your failure to understand that there are things much worse than death has always been your greatest weakness"

Another jet of green light flew from behind the silver shield. This time it was the one-armed centaur, galloping in front of Dumbledore, that took the blast and shattered into a hundred pieces, but before the fragments had even hit the floor, Dumbledore had drawn back his wand and waved it as though brandishing a whip. A long thin flame flew from the tip; it wrapped itself around Voldemort, shield and all. For a moment, it seemed Dumbledore had won, but then the fiery rope became a serpent, which relinquished its hold on Voldemort at once and turned, hissing furiously, to face Dumbledore.

Voldemort vanished; the snake reared from the floor, ready to strike.

There was a burst of flame in midair above Dumbledore just as Voldemort reappeared, standing on the plinth in the middle of the pool where so recently the five statues had stood.

"Look out!" Harry yelled.

But even as he shouted, another jet of green light flew at Dumbledore from Voldemort's wand and the snake had struck. Fawkes swooped down in front of Dumbledore, opened his beak wide and swallowed the jet of green light whole: he burst into flame and fell to the floor, small, wrinkled and flightless. At the same moment, Dumbledore brandished his wand in one long, fluid movement - the snake, which had been an instant from sinking its fangs into him, flew high into the air and vanished in a wisp of dark smoke; and the water in the pool rose up and covered Voldemort like a cocoon of molten glass.

For a few seconds Voldemort was visible only as a dark, rippling, faceless figure, shimmering and indistinct upon the plinth, clearly struggling to throw off the suffocating mass. Then he was gone and the water fell with a crash back into its pool, slopping wildly over the sides, drenching the polished floor.

"MASTER!" screamed Bellatrix.

Sure it was over, sure Voldemort had decided to flee, Harry made to run out from behind his statue guard, but Dumbledore bellowed: "Stay where you are, Harry!"

For the first time, Dumbledore sounded frightened. Harry could not see why: the hall was quite empty but for themselves, the sobbing Bellatrix still trapped under the witch statue, and the baby phoenix Fawkes croaking feebly on the floor.

And then Harry's scar burst open and he knew he was dead: it was pain beyond imagining, pain past endurance. He was gone from the hall, he was locked in the coils of a creature with red eyes, so tightly bound that Harry did not know where his body ended and the creature's began: they were fused together, bound by pain, and there was no escape. And when the creature spoke, it used Harry's mouth, so that in his agony he felt his jaw move

"Kill me now, Dumbledore…"

Colin watched and cursed.

'_Separate your magic from your body and attack.'_ Kil ordered Colin. '_I will keep him from finding where your body is and knowing it is yours.'_

'_He can't know I exist though.' _Colin sent back frantically.

'_It is either do this, or let him kill Harry Potter. Even if Dumbledore stops him, there will be too much damage to the boy's mind soon.'_

'_Fine.'_

Colin shut his eyes and sent his magic out. He opened them as his magic-self, and reached out to wrap around Harry, seeing and feeling Voldemort's magic around and in him as black tendrils that radiated cold and evil. He pushed them away, and filled Harry with a warmth to protect him.

'_Who are you?'_ Voldemort hissed as his magic was repelled.

Colin didn't answer, just shoved the Dark Lord away, and waited until he could no longer sense the man before returning to his body.

He got to his feet and walked over to Dumbledore, as the man bent over Harry and asked the boy, "Are you all right, Harry?" Colin stayed close to Dumbledore, as he took in the amount of people who had just started appearing in the fireplaces.

"Yes," said Harry, shaking so violently he could not hold his head up properly. "Yeah, I'm - where's Voldemort, where - who are all these - what's –"

The Atrium was full of people; the floor was reflecting the emerald green flames that had burst into life in all the fireplaces along one wall; and streams of witches and wizards were emerging from them. As Dumbledore pulled him back to his feet, Harry saw the tiny gold statues of the house-elf and the goblin, leading a stunned-looking Cornelius Fudge forward.

"He was there!" shouted a scarlet-robed man with a ponytail, who was pointing at a pile of golden rubble on the other side of the hall, where Bellatrix had lain trapped only moments before. "I saw him, Mr. Fudge, I swear it was You-Know-Who, he grabbed a woman and Disapparated!"

"I know, Williamson, I know, I saw him too!" gibbered Fudge, who was wearing pajamas under his pinstriped cloak and was gasping as though he had just run miles. "Merlin's beard - here - here! - in the Ministry of Magic! - great heavens above - it doesn't seem possible - my word - how can this be -?"

"If you proceed downstairs into the Department of Mysteries, Cornelius," said Dumbledore - apparently satisfied that Harry was all right, and walking forwards so that the newcomers realized he was there for the first time (a few of them raised their wands; others simply looked amazed; the statues of the elf and goblin applauded and Fudge jumped so much that his slipperclad feet left the floor) - "you will find several escaped Death Eaters contained in the Death Chamber, bound by an Anti-Disapparation Jinx and awaiting your decision as to what to do with them."

"Dumbledore!" gasped Fudge, beside himself with amazement. "You-here-I-I" He looked wildly around at the Aurors he had brought with him and it could not have been clearer that he was in half a mind to cry, "Seize him!"

"Cornelius, I am ready to fight your men - and win, again!" said Dumbledore in a thunderous voice. "But a few minutes ago you saw proof, with your own eyes, that I have been telling you the truth for a year. Lord Voldemort has returned, you have been chasing the wrong man for twelve months, and it is time - you listened to sense!"

"I - don't – well" blustered Fudge, looking around as though hoping somebody was going to tell him what to do. When nobody did, he said, "Very well - Dawlish! Williamson! Go down to the Department of Mysteries and see… Dumbledore, you - you will need to tell me exactly - the Fountain of Magical Brethren - what happened?" he added in a kind of whimper, staring around at the floor, where the remains of the statues of the witch, wizard and centaur now lay scattered. "We can discuss that after I have sent my students back to Hogwarts," said Dumbledore.

"Harry - Harry Potter?" Fudge wheeled around and stared at Harry, who was still standing against the wall beside the fallen statue that had guarded him during Dumbledore and Voldemort's duel.

"He - here?" said Fudge, goggling at Harry. "Why - what's all this about?"

"I shall explain everything," repeated Dumbledore, "when both Harry, and my other student are back at school." Dumbledore said, as Fudge realised Colin was there too, but didn't show any interest in him.

Dumbledore grabbed a bit golden rubble and waved his wand over it.

"Now see here, Dumbledore!" said Fudge, as Dumbledore picked up the head and walked back to Harry carrying it. "You haven't got authorization for that Portkey! You can't do things like that right in front of the Minister for Magic, you – you"

His voice faltered as Dumbledore surveyed him magisterially over his half-moon spectacles.

"You will give the order to remove Dolores Umbridge from Hogwarts," said Dumbledore. "You will tell your Aurors to stop searching for my Care of Magical Creatures teacher so that he can return to work. I will give you…" Dumbledore pulled a watch with twelve hands from his pocket and surveyed it… "half an hour of my time tonight, in which I think we shall be more than able to cover the important points of what has happened here. After that, I shall need to return to my school. If you need more help from me you are, of course, more than welcome to contact me at Hogwarts. Letters addressed to the Headmaster will find me."

Fudge goggled worse than ever; his mouth was open and his round face grew pinker under his rumpled grey hair. "I - you"

Dumbledore turned his back on him.

"Take this Portkey, both of you."

He held out the golden head of the statue and Harry placed his hand on it, past caring what he did next or where he went. Colin followed suit, nodded once at Dumbledore who smiled breifly back.

"I shall see you in half an hour," said Dumbledore quietly "One… two… three…"

They felt a jerk and were soon spinning through colours and winds back to Dumbeldore's office.

**TBC**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

When the pair of boys landed in Dumbledore's office, Harry ignored everything and stared off into space, obviously grieving for his godfather.

Colin watched quietly from the corner, as one of the pictures began speaking to the boy, "Ah, Harry Potter." Phineas Nigellus gave a long yawn, stretching his arms as he surveyed Harry out of shrewd, narrow eyes. "And what brings you here in the early hours of the morning?" said Phineas eventually "This office is supposed to be barred to all but the rightful Headmaster. Or has Dumbledore sent you here? Oh, don't tell me…" He gave another shuddering yawn. "Another message for my worthless great-great-grandson?"

Colin could tell Harry could not speak. A few more of the portraits had stirred now, and Colin watched as Harry tried to leave, but couldn't.

"I hope this means," said the corpulent, red-nosed wizard who hung on the wall behind the Headmaster's desk, "that Dumbledore will soon be back among us?"

Harry turned. The wizard was surveying him with great interest. Harry nodded. He tugged again on the doorknob behind his back, but it remained immovable.

"Oh good," said the wizard. "It has been very dull without him, very dull indeed."

He settled himself on the throne-like chair on which he had been painted and smiled benignly upon Harry

"Dumbledore thinks very highly of you, as I am sure you know," he said comfortably. "Oh yes. Holds you in great esteem."

Harry's face flooded with guilt, and Colin could almost hear Harry's thoughts, his emotions were that obvious.

The empty fireplace burst into emerald green flame, making Harry leap away from the door, staring at the man spinning inside the grate. As Dumbledore's tall form unfolded itself from the fire, the wizards and witches on the surrounding walls jerked awake, many of them giving cries of welcome.

"Thank you," said Dumbledore softly.

He did not look at Harry at first, but walked over to the perch beside the door and withdrew, from an inside pocket of his robes, the tiny, ugly, featherless Fawkes, whom he placed gently on the tray of soft ashes beneath the golden post where the full-grown Fawkes usually stood.

"Well, Harry," said Dumbledore, finally turning away from the baby bird, "you will be pleased to hear that none of your fellow students are going to suffer lasting damage from the night's events."

Harry tried to speak but nothing came out. Dumbledore continued like nothing was wrong.

"Madam Pomfrey is patching everybody up," said Dumbledore. "Nymphadora Tonks may need to spend a little time in St. Mungo's, but it seems she will make a full recovery."

Harry nodded.

"I know how you're feeling, Harry," said Dumbledore very quietly.

"No, you don't," said Harry, and his voice was suddenly loud and strong; white-hot anger leapt inside him; Dumbledore knew nothing about his feelings.

Colin quietly left the room as Phineas Nigellus spoke, "You see, Dumbledore? Never try to understand the students. They hate it. They would much rather be tragically misunderstood, wallow in self-pity, stew in their own -"

"That's enough, Phineas," said Dumbledore.

Colin shut the door that would now open, and sat on the floor, against the wall next to the door, trying not to listen to the conversation going on inside.

"THEN - I - DON'T - WANT - TO - BE - HUMAN!"

Colin heard Harry roar, before crashing and banging was heard from the room. Colin flinched, then leaned his head back against the wall, waiting for them to finish to talk with Dumbledore.

"I DON'T CARE!" Harry continued to yell. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH, I'VE SEEN ENOUGH, I WANT OUT, I WANT IT TO END, I DON'T CARE ANY MORE"

"I - DON'T!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL!" Harry roared. "YOU - STANDING THERE – YOU"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU'VE GOT TO SAY!"

Colin sighed as Harry fell silent, and he knew Dumbledore was finally telling the boy what he should've known at the start of the year.

There was muffled silence for a while, before another outburst from Harry was heard, "DON'T TALK ABOUT SIRIUS LIKE THAT!"

Another ten minutes past. And then another.

Eventually, Harry appeared and left Dumbledore's office, heading for the Infirmary.

Colin got up and entered Dumbeldore's office to find the man sitting at his desk, hands steepled under his chin, cleraly lost in thought.

"You are welcome to say 'I told you so'." Dumbledore spoke.

"I would never." Colin shook his head, then stopped and thought about it. "Well, I would, but in years to come when it isn't still painful. Did you tell him everything?"

"I told him the prophecy." Dumbledore nodded.

"All of it?" Colin asked again, studying his hands intensely.

"I left out your part of it, to tell him yourself. I showed him the memory I had of Sybill telling me the part of the prophecy she knew, not the part that the Great Dragon told me." Dumbledore explained. "That is not my information to share."

"I'll tell him after he has recovered from this and seen his friends." Colin sighed, slumping back into the chair.

"I suggest you go to the Infirmary to get checked over by Madame Promfrey as well." Dumbledore said, getting to his feet.

"Right." Colin got to his feet and left. He stuck his head back in and said, "Oh yeah, Umbridge is in the forest somewhere, with some centaurs, may want to go rescue her or something."

"I will look into it." Dumbledore nodded. And Colin left.

* * *

Hermione finished reading out the article from the paper, stopping mid-sentence once Harry had been mentioned, "There you are, Harry, I knew they'd drag you into it somehow," said Hermione, looking over the top of the paper at him.

They were all in the hospital wing. Harry was sitting on the end of Ron's bed and they were both listening to Hermione read the front page of the Sun day Prophet. Ginny, whose ankle had been mended in a trice by Madam Pomfrey, was curled up at the foot of Hermione's bed; Neville, whose nose had likewise been returned to its normal size and shape, was in a chair between the two beds; and Luna, who had dropped in to visit, clutching the latest edition of The Quibbler, was reading the magazine upside-down and apparently not taking in a word Hermione was saying. Colin was sitting on an unused bed, cross-legged with Kil curled up in his lap, purring as Colin patted him.

"He's the 'boy who lived' again now, though, isn't he?" said Ron darkly. "Not such a deluded show-off any more, eh?"

He helped himself to a handful of Chocolate Frogs from the immense pile on his bedside cabinet, threw a few to Harry, Ginny and Neville and ripped off the wrapper of his own with his teeth.

There were still deep welts on his forearms where the brain's tentacles had wrapped around him. According to Madam Pomfrey, thoughts could leave deeper scarring than almost anything else, though since she had started applying copious amounts of Dr. Ubbly's Oblivious Unction there seemed to have been some improvement.

"Yes, they're very complimentary about you now, Harry," said Hermione, scanning down the article. "'A lone voice of truth… perceived as unbalanced, yet never wavered in his story… forced to bear ridicule and slander… ' Hmmm," she said, frowning, "I notice they don't mention the fact that it was them doing all the ridiculing and slandering in the Prophet…"

She winced slightly and put a hand to her ribs. The curse Dolohov had used on her, though less effective than it would have been had he been able to say the incantation aloud, had nevertheless caused, in Madam Pomfrey's words, 'quite enough damage to be going on with'. Hermione was having to take ten different types of potion every day, was improving greatly, and was already bored with the hospital wing.

"You-Know-Who's Last Attempt to Take Over, pages two to four, What the Ministry Should Have Told Us, page five, Why Nobody Listened to Albus Dumbledore, pages six to eight, Exclusive Interview with Harry Potter, page nine… Well," said Hermione, folding up the newspaper and throwing it aside, "it's certainly given them lots to write about. And that interview with Harry isn't exclusive, it's the one that was in The Quibbler months ago…"

"Daddy sold it to them," said Luna vaguely, turning a page of The Quibbler. "He got a very good price for it, too, so we're going to go on an expedition to Sweden this summer to see if we can catch a Crumple-Horned Snorkack."

Hermione seemed to struggle with herself for a moment, then said, "That sounds lovely"

Ginny caught Harry's eye and looked away quickly, grinning.

"So, anyway," said Hermione, sitting up a little straighter and wincing again, "what's going on in school?"

"Well, Flitwick's got rid of Fred and George's swamp," said Ginny, "he did it in about three seconds. But he left a tiny patch under the window and he's roped it off"

"Why?" said Hermione, looking startled.

"Oh, he just says it was a really good bit of magic," said Ginny, shrugging.

"I think he left it as a monument to Fred and George," said Ron, through a mouthful of chocolate.

"They sent me all these, you know," he told Harry, pointing at the small mountain of Frogs beside him. "Must be doing all right out of that joke shop, eh?"  
Hermione looked rather disapproving and asked, "So has all the trouble stopped now Dumbledore's back?"

"Yes," said Neville, "everything's settled right back to normal."

"I s'pose Filch is happy, is he?" asked Ron, propping a Chocolate Frog Card featuring Dumbledore against his water jug.

"Not at all," said Ginny "He's really, really miserable, actually…" She lowered her voice to a whisper. "He keeps saying Umbridge was the best thing that ever happened to Hogwarts…"

All of them looked around. Professor Umbridge was lying in a bed opposite them, gazing up at the ceiling. Dumbledore had strode alone into the Forest to rescue her from the centaurs; how he had done it - how he had emerged from the trees supporting Professor Umbridge without so much as a scratch on him - nobody knew, and Umbridge was certainly not telling. Since she had returned to the castle she had not, as far as any of them knew, uttered a single word. Nobody really knew what was wrong with her, either. Her usually neat mousy hair was very untidy and there were still bits of twigs and leaves in it, but otherwise she seemed to be quite unscathed.

"Madam Pomfrey says she's just in shock," whispered Hermione.

"Sulking, more like," said Ginny

"Yeah, she shows signs of life if you do this," said Ron, and with his tongue he made soft clipclopping noises. Umbridge sat bolt upright, looking around wildly.

"Anything wrong, Professor?" called Madam Pomfrey, poking her head around her office door.

"No… no…" said Umbridge, sinking back into her pillows. "No, I must have been dreaming…"

Hermione and Ginny muffled their laughter in the bedclothes.

"Speaking of centaurs," said Hermione, when she had recovered a little, "who's Divination teacher now? Is Firenze staying?"

"He's got to," said Harry, "the other centaurs won't take him back, will they?"

"It looks like he and Trelawney are both going to teach," said Ginny

"Bet Dumbledore wishes he could've got rid of Trelawney for good," said Ron, now munching on his fourteenth Frog. "Mind you, the whole subject's useless if you ask me, Firenze isn't a lot better…"

"How can you say that?" Hermione demanded. "After we've just found out that there are real prophecies?"

Harry refused to meet Colin's eye, as Colin realised Harry hadn't told them the prophecy yet.

"It is a pity it broke," said Hermione quietly, shaking her head.

"Yeah, it is," said Ron. "Still, at least You-Know-Who never found out what was in it either - where are you going?" he added, looking both surprised and disappointed as Harry stood up.

"Er - Hagrid's," said Harry. "You know, he just got back and I promised I'd go down and see him and tell him how you two are."

"Oh, all right then," said Ron grumpily, looking out of the dormitory window at the patch of bright blue sky beyond. "Wish we could come."

"Say hello to him for us!" called Hermione, as Harry proceeded down the ward. "And ask him what's happening about… about his little friend!"

Harry gave a wave of his hand to show he had heard and understood as he left the dormitory.

"I bet Dumbledore knows what the prophecy said." Ron thought aloud.

"Seeing into the future is a type of power no one man should have, nor crave. It is a horrible business, and one that we'd be all better of if people left alone." Colin told them, without looking up from his cat.

"Look, I have to ask, and if you don't want to answer, then don't, but you aren't just a student, are you?" Ginny asked, having heard of what Colin had done.

Colin smiled at Ginny knowingly. "Yes and no. I am merely a student, here to learn different methods, but I am also still a druid, with knowledge of our ways and beliefs. It is not uncommon for children among our people to See into the future in their dreams, and it is just as likely as those with the gift to develop into greater powers, or lose the gift altogether."

"Did you?" Neville asked.

"As a child, I would occasionally have what we call True Dreams, where we dream of events, future, present and past alike, and it is different from dreaming. I cannot explain, but you just know if it is a True Dream or not. Most druid children do, and most dream of the past or present, like myself. I grew out of it, like most of my friends. There are those who don't, like Professor Trelawney. You do not even have to be a druid to have these gifts." Colin shrugged. "It is a burden, one that I am glad I no longer have."

Colin stared out the window and watched as Harry walked out and down to the lake.

"I'm going to go for a walk." Colin said, getting up as Kil jumped off his lap. He said goodbye to the group, who were discussing an article in the paper and left.

Within a few minutes, Colin was sitting down next to Harry at the lake, drawing his knees up to his chest.

"I found out about my destiny when I was eight, and I can tell you right now, that is a huge burden to carry. I disagreed with Dumbledore keeping all this from you, but I understand his reasoning from a personal point of view." Colin told Harry quietly. "And i am aware you may not want to talk about this, but there is more to the prophecy that what Dumbledore told you. He didn't tell you because it was not his information to share, as he was gifted with the curse of knowing, but only a druid may share the knowledge with an outsider, and Dumbledore isn't a druid."

"But you are."

"But I am. The prophecy Dumbledore told you states that 'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches and is born to those who have thrice defied him, and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not. Either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies.'" Colin paused. "The rest of it states that there will be a battle, where the Dark Lord and The Chosen One will fight, and one will die. For the Dark Lord to be defeated, a pair of men will be needed to help the Chosen One. When they are needed they will arrive, the Once and Future King and his faithful companion."

"Once and Future king?" Harry asked, confused.

"King Arthur, wielder of Excalibur." Colin clarified.

"Where is he now?"

"One of the students at Hogwarts. I don't know who yet, but I will figure it out. He's been reincarnated, like me, you see."

"Like you?" Harry asked.

"I'm the reincarnation of Merlin." Colin told him cheerfully.

"What?"

"It's why I couldn't use my magic in front of Voldemort, I didn't want him to know I am here, since I haven't found and awoken Arthur yet. But that isn't why I am talking to you right now. I'm going to leave you alone now, since you clearly want to be alone, but remember this, you have a burden on your shoulders, and a heavy heart due to it. Trust Ron and Hermione, they are your friends and will stick by you no matter what, just, remember you aren't completely alone in this. There will be things you must do on your own, but your friends are here to support you as best they can." Colin told him, before standing and offering his hand. "Goodbye, Harry Potter, until we meet again next year."

"You aren't coming to the end of year feast?" Harry asked, shaking the other boy's hand

"I am leaving now, I've already arranged it with Professor Dumbledore. I will be back next year. Just, if you ever need my help, say my name and I will hear, and either send help or come myself." Colin told him.

"Just call Colin?"

"Say 'Merlin' and I will hear."

Harry watched as Colin walked off to a carriage which was waiting further down the path, out of sight of the castle due to the trees. He climbed in and was gone.

* * *

Colin stepped off the platform, and Podmore was waiting for him.

"Mr Morgan, I'm sorry." He said immediately, as Colin approached him.

"Why?" Colin asked, ignoring the obvious answer.

"I tried to save her, but she refused to leave without helping defend her friends, and she made me leave." Podmore explained.

"Where's my mum?" Colin asked, fear welling up inside him.

"Here." Podmore gripped Colin's arm and apparated to his home.

What was left of it.

Colin stood outside the front door of the burnt frame of his childhood home, and turned to see the rest of his town, all the buildings down the road and at the town square, which he could just see due to the hill his house had always rested upon, also in charred remains.

"No." Colin whispered, falling to his knees in shock. "No. No. No. No." He whispered, shaking his head.

"Colin," Podmore moved to grab his arm.

"NO!" Colin screamed, and Podmore flew away, landing on the grass several metres back from the boy. "LEAVE ME!" Colin screamed, his voice thick with tears. Podmore took one look at the shaking, grieving boy and disapparated.

Colin stared out at his broken town, devoid of all life and as the tears fell down his cheeks, he screamed.

**TBC**


	22. Chapter 22

**Here is the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it :)**

**Chapter 22**

Walking into the Great Hall, covered in blood and hours late took a lot of courage, courage that Harry didn't think he had, but then, he had no choice but to enter. He walked in quickly, ignoring the stares and whispers as he slid onto the bench next to Ron and braced himself for the questions.

"Oh my god Harry! What happened to your face?" Hermione gasped, shocked.

"You're covered in blood!" Ginny added from next to Hermione.

"Long story." Harry muttered, wanting to avoid answering any questions until he could talk in private with his friends. Ron and Hermione reluctantly dropped it, as Ron finished off his dessert and Hermione grabbed a napkin, wet it with some water and helped clean off some of the blood off Harry's face.

Harry jerked his head out of Hermione's grasp to look around the table. "Where's Colin?" Harry asked.

"I don't know. He isn't at the table, and no one saw him on the train." Hermione responded in a low voice. "We were going to find Professor McGonagall after dinner and ask."

Their conversation was cut short as Professor Dumbledore stood to address the school, and announce the new teaching positions. After the speech was finished, and it was announced that Snape was Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, and Slughorn, the new teacher was the Potions teacher, the trio struggled to get up to the table to talk to McGonagall.

"What is it?" McGonagall snapped, as they made her pause from moving away from the table.

"Colin isn't here, we were just wondering if you knew what was wrong?" Hermione asked.

McGonagall gave them a look and said, "I'm sure he is fine, just delayed for some reason. You are aware of his upbringing?"

The three students nodded.

"They have a festival tomorrow, so he will return after that." McGonagall told them.

They nodded, and left, with Hermione thanking her over her shoulder.

* * *

A week passed, and no Colin.

Another week.

A month.

A term.

McGonagall and Dumbledore refused to tell any of them where he was. Everyone questioned it, noticing the lack of the boy and his cat.

They attended their classes, caught up in the mystery surrounding Malfoy and Voldemort, and trying to keep up with their classes. Harry, despite Hermione's insistent nagging, used the potions book from the half-blood prince. He also continued to watch Malfoy, watching the Slytherin closely as Harry believed him to be the newest Death Eater, and Harry attended lessons with Dumbledore, learning about Voldemort's past.

Katie Bell was poisoned, and quickly taken to the hospital for treatment, and despite Harry telling McGonagall his fears of Malfoy being behind it, they were dismissed since the boy had been in detention with the teacher during the Hogsmead visit.

Ron and Hermione had a falling out, since Ron started dating Lavender, and Harry was left in the middle of them, wanting to remain friends with both, but sickened by Ron and Lavender always kissing and snogging.

Colin remained absent throughout all of this.

During Christmas, the Minister of Magic attempted to get the prophecy out of Harry, and to work with the Ministry, but was unsuccessful, as the Ministry's methods were severely lacking and immorale. Harry's lessons with Dumbledore continued, and he soon hears about Horcruxes for the first time, but Slughorn refused to tell him what they were.

Ron was poisoned, and only saved by Harry's quick thinking and scribbles on the potions book that he was using, and trying to find the origins of. The two poisoning attempts reveals that someone was attempting to kill Dumbledore, and Harry remains adamant that it was Malfoy behind it all.

Harry learnt more about Voldemort and his history, and at the same time, asked Dobby to have two elves follow malfoy about, keeping watch on the boy.

The watchers reveal that Malfoy had been going to the Room of Requirement on regular and frequent occasions, but despite Harry's planning and desperate attempts, he couldn't get into the room to see what was going on.

* * *

A few weeks later, Harry found his chance to get the information about horcruxes off Slughorn, by using the Felix Felicis potion he had won in class at the start of the year, and found out the truth. That a Horcrux is an object in which a person has concealed part of their soul. Even if the person is attacked or destroyed, a small part of his soul lives on outside of his body—and therefore he can never die. This separation can only occur when one commits the supreme act of evil, murder.

This information prompted Dumbledore to tell Harry that he suspects Voldemort has split his soul into seven pieces, and that no wizard has ever attempted multiple Horcruxes. Dumbledore believes that the only way to kill Voldemort is to destroy all seven Horcruxes, and to do that they have to find them all first. Dumbledore believes that the seventh Horcrux is Voldemort's regenerated body and should be destroyed last. Of the other six, two are already gone—the diary Harry obliterated his first year at Hogwarts, and Marvolo's ring, which Dumbledore withered his hand destroying. Harry suggests Slytherin's locket and Hufflepuff's cup. Dumbledore wonders if one of the remaining two Horcruxes belonged to Ravenclaw, since Gryffindor's only known relic, the sword, is safe in Dumbledore's office. Also, Dumbledore believes that Nagini, the snake, is the sixth.

Colin never sent word or appeared once.

Harry got into a fight with Malfoy, and used a spell from his potions textbook that nearly killed the blonde boy. This made Harry decide to hide the book in the Room of Requirement, in a place to lost things in, where there was also a broken Vanishing Cabinet and rows upon rows of lost items.

Just as things were beginning to settle down, Harry was summoned to Dumbeldore's office, and on the way met with Professor Trelawney with the report that someone had been excited and estatic in the Room of Requirement, and on their way to Dumbledore together, she revealed that it was Snape who had told Voldemort of the prophecy, causing Harry's dislike and distrust to grow and he had to rush to tell Dumbledore, who merely dismisses the mistrust and states he trusts the man implicitly.

Dumbledore dismissed the conversation, and left with Harry to hunt down the next horcrux, in a cave from Voldemort's childhood. Before they left, Harry told Ron and Hermione to watch Malfoy, and get help from old members of the DA to help.

Harry accompanied Dumbledore, and stood by the man as they entered the cave, traveled through water, then across the lake to the island in the middle where a stone basin filled with green liquid stood. Dumbledore put himself forward to drink the green liquid, aware it would be a posion of some kind, and made Harry promise to continue force-feeding him the potion regardless of what happened.

The potion weakened the man greatly, and when it was all gone, and he needed water, Harry couldn't conjure any to stay, and was forced to use the lake water, causing the dead bodies that were guarding the island to start climbing up to grab them and kill them. At the last moment, Dumbledore regained his strength and mind and cast a raging fire to swirl around the cave, sending the dead bodies, the Inferi, back into the lack. Harry grabbed the locket and helped Dumbledore leave the cave.

Harry managed to apparate back to Hogsmeade with Dumbledore at his side, as Dumbledore was extremely weak and unable to walk. Dumbledore could do next to nothing, but insist that Snape was the one to treat him, but as they went to head back to Hogwarts, Madam Rosmerta, the owner of the Three Broomsticks pointed out the shape in the sky above the school.

The Dark Mark.

Harry was filled with dread as he saw it, and began to fly to the school with Dumbledore (having borrowed the broomsticks from Rosmerta) and wished for Colin to turn up to help.

He didn't.

* * *

The pair landed on the Astronomy Tower, and Dumbledore made Harry hide under the invisibility cloak, just as Malfoy, turned up and disarmed Dumbledore, who had in the split seconds before this had frozen Harry in his place silently, not wanting him to interfere.

Dumbledore asked Draco who else was he working with, and Draco tells him in response that there were Death Eaters at Hogwarts, fighting off Dumbledore's guards down below. Dumbledore tells Draco to get on with it and kill him, but Draco simply stared at Dumbledore, shocked and unable to do it, despite his desperate cries of warnings.

Dumbeldore simply smiled and told Draco he was not a killer, as his heart was not in it, and the Syltherin boy did nothing to harm the old man.

Dumbledore got Malfoy to reveal how he got Death Eaters into Hogwarts, and Malfoy told him how he had fixed the Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement and they had created a pathway with the second, partner cabinet. Malfoy also ended up confessing to posioning the necklace and mead in a desperate attempt at killing Dumbledore.

Harry was unable to do anything to help his professor.

Colin still didn't turn up.

Just as Dumbledore had nearly convinced Draco to not kill him, four Death Eaters appeared and ordered him to do it. When he hesitated, and the Death Eaters tried to convince him to act, Snape burst through the doors and nonverbally cast the killing curse, knocking Dumbledore off the tower and down to the grass below.

Harry ran down the steps, as the freezing spell broke, and rushed after Draco and Snape. Downstairs, there was a battle raging, as Death Eaters tried to kill teachers, members of the DA and members of the Order who were all fighting. He struggled to run through the hexes and curses and rubble and bodies, and cried out as a curse knocked him to the ground, knocking the air out of his lungs. A Death Eater approached him, grinning as they moved to kill him, and a bright golden light knocked them back off their feet. Knocked all the Death Eater's off their feet.

Harry looked up, and stared in shock and confusion as an old man stood at the open doors, with a staff in one hand and a cat by his side.

Harry struggled to his feet, pushing the mystery man aside as he ran out the door and followed Snape and Malfoy. Hagrid had begun fighting the Death Eater that had been with Snape and Malfoy, but the other two were sprinting for the gates, where they would be able to disapparate out of the school. Harry tried to stun Snape, and missed, but still got his attention. Snape doesn't hurt the boy, despite his yelling and screams, insulting him. A different Death Eater knocked Harry over, but was stopped by Snape from killing the boy.

Snape stood over Harry and sneered at him, as Harry struggled to sit up and continued to call Snape a coward. Snape looked up at someone behind Harry and then turned and left with Malfoy.

Harry was left to tell everyone about Dumbledore, and told Hagrid who refused to believe it. Harry took Hagrid to the base of the Astronomy Tower and as Harry remained silent, he straightened the half-moon glasses and took the locket they had gotten from the cave and kept it, as a crowd of students and onlookers grew and everyone gasped and stood shocked that they had lost their Headmaster.

* * *

Harry was led to the hospital wing by Ginny, and stood as he took in the sleeping Neville, and Bill Weasley's figure on another bed, with his face marred by Fenir Greyback, a werewolf. Harry had to drop the bombshell, and did so emotionless, in a state of shock.

"Dumbeldore is dead."

Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Luna, Tonks, and Lupin gasped and Lupin collapsed into a chair. Professor McGonagall walked in, and the news had to be repeated.

Life continued on as Mr Weasley, Mrs Weasley and Bill's fiance, Fleur rushed in to see their injured loved one. Hagrid told McGonagall he had moved Dumbledore's body, and McGonagall was forced to take over the role for the moment, to take charge and regroup.

* * *

Dumbledore's funeral was organised, and despite the misgivings, McGonagall decided to reopen Hogwarts, unable to disrespect Dumbledore's belief that the school would remain as a safe haven regardless of what was happening or had happened.

At the funeral, Colin appeared, small, quiet, standing off to the side near where Harry had been hiding.

"Where were you?" Harry asked.

"Nowhere important." Colin replied, his voice quiet and calm, but with underlying anger and hurt. "I shouldn't have left, and for that, I am sorry, but now we must finish what Dumbledore was doing so we can stop Voldemort."

"Why did you leave?"

"I was angry. And grieving. He killed my people." Colin explained.

Harry wordlessly handed over the locket, and note, as he let his tears drip down his cheeks.

Colin read the note in silence then handed the fake locket back. "Are you going to go after the rest of them?"

"Yes. I'm not coming back to Hogwarts."

"I thought so." Colin nodded once. "Hermione and Ron will go with you, to help. You won't be able to stop them."

"I know. Are you coming?" Harry asked, as they both watched McGonagall speak at Dumbledore's grave.

"No. I need to fulfil my side of the prophecy. When the time comes, you will come back, for the final fight, and I'll be there, with all the help I can give you."  
Harry nodded and Colin walked away, to the castle.

He wiped the tears away and turned to find Ginny, to say goodbye.

**TBC**


	23. Chapter 23

**This one is a little on the short side, but I wanted to keep it separate from the next one. Hopefully you enjoy it all the same :)**

**Chapter 23**

_Colin stepped off the platform, and Podmore was waiting for him._

"_Mr Morgan, I'm sorry." He said immediately, as Colin approached him._

"_Why?" Colin asked, ignoring the obvious answer._

"_I tried to save her, but she refused to leave without helping defend her friends, and she made me leave." Podmore explained._

"_Where's my mum?" Colin asked, fear welling up inside him._

"_Here." Podmore gripped Colin's arm and apparated to his home._

_What was left of it._

_Colin stood outside the front door of the burnt frame of his childhood home, and turned to see the rest of his town, all the buildings down the road and at the town square, which he could just see due to the hill his house had always rested upon, also in charred remains._

"_No." Colin whispered, falling to his knees in shock. "No. No. No. No." He whispered, shaking his head._

"_Colin," Podmore moved to grab his arm._

"_NO!" Colin screamed, and Podmore flew away, landing on the grass several metres back from the boy. "LEAVE ME!" Colin screamed, his voice thick with tears. Podmore took one look at the shaking, grieving boy and disapparated._

_Colin stared out at his broken town, devoid of all life and as the tears fell down his cheeks, he screamed._

* * *

Time passed.

Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks; he didn't pay attention, so he had no idea how long he merely stayed on his knees, at the ruins of his house.

He eventually stumbled down through the town and up the path through the forest.

He stopped, at the cave and sank to the ground, tucking his legs into his chest and resting his chin on his knees. His eyes were dry, the tears having stopped a while ago, but the crippling pain was still there.

The sun soon set, and he stumbled onto his feet and into the cave. He moved through the dark tunnel to the cavern and knelt in the middle, and shut his eyes.

He remained in the cave for 76 days. One day for each life loss.

When he emerged, Kil was there waiting. The cat leapt up onto Colin's shoulders, and revealed the pile of fruit that he had gathered.

Colin ate the fruit silently, having lived off of his magic since he left the train, and drank from a stream, before he stood and moved purposefully back to the town.

'_We need to go back to the school. You need to find Arthur, and the students need protection.'_ Kil told him.

'_No.'_ Colin refused.

He went to the town square, and from the fountain in the middle, took the staff the statue held.

'_No? You are needed to complete the prophecy.'_

'_I will. Just not yet.'_ Colin then ignored the cat and let his magic go, letting his eyes flash as his shoulders hunched, his hair bleached and grew and his skin sagged. Once 'old him' stood in his place, he began walking.

And walking.

* * *

He found Voldemort's camp weeks later and walked straight in, ignoring the calls and demands to stop, walkig right through the spells and shields and wards, eyes focused on the figure who had stood up from his throne.

"And you are?" Voldemort all but hissed.

"Names are merely a type of identification given to us by our parents, they do not necessarily say who we are, after all, you changed your name."

"And how may I help you?"

Colin jerked his head at him, eyes flashing gold, and he staggered back, but his shielding spell protected him.

"I am warning you, as is only fair." Colin began.

"Warning me?" Voldemort laughed. The Death Eaters joined in.

Colin's eyes grew dark and the sky rumbled. A crack of lightning hit the throne behind Voldemort and it crumbled to bits.

"You will listen to me and listen well." Colin all but growled, as the laughter stopped, and all the Death Eaters gripped their wands uneasily.

"Very well, continue." Voldemort waved a hand lazily.

"You are going to be defeated." Colin stated.

"Really?" Voldemort sneered, "And I suppose you are going to be the one to stop me?"

"I'm going to help, but it won't be me." Colin shook his head. "Harry Potter is going to stop you."

Voldemort laughed loudly for a moment, then stopped and smirked, "That boy is of no threat to me."

"He is going to defeat you, but I am going to destroy you." Colin continued as if Voldemort didn't speak. "I am going to destroy you, no matter how long it takes."

"Why do you think you can do that?" Voldemort laughed.

"Because you destroyed my people, you attacked and killed the last druids alive, and destroyed our town. You killed my family and friends, my mother, my best friends. And you have been doing that to people since you became Voldemort, killing and taking lives and destroying lives without a thought or regret, and it is time someone does it to you."

"And you have the power to do so?"

"I do." Colin answered.

Voldemort laughed, and the Death Eaters laughed along as well.

"Who are you, to think you have the power to stop me?" Voldemort hissed through his laughter.

"I am Emrys." Colin replied.

Voldemort's laughter died off, and the Death Eaters soon followed suit, although nearly all of them were confused as to who he was.

"Impossible. I killed you in the town." Voldemort argued.

"I wasn't there. You were wrong in assuming that I would just let you destroy the place I lived. If I had been present, you would've regretted it at the time. You'll still regret it, but now I won't take pity on you." Colin told him.

"Like you can stop me." Voldemort sneered.

Colin shrugged, then his eyes flashed gold and everyone in the camp was flung backwards, when they struggled back to their feet, they found the place empty of Emrys.

* * *

Colin appeared in a clearing near his town. He kept the aging spell on and picked up the staff from where he had left it hidden. He stood and then Kil appeared from among the trees.

'_Dumbledore has taken Harry to find another Horcrux.'_

'_I know, the school is going to be attacked tonight.'_

'_How do you know?'_

'_He was missing Death Eaters, cause they are getting ready to invade the school, and Snape has been keeping me informed.'_

'_I underestimated you, young warlock.' _Kil said, surprised. He had assumed Colin had merely been grieving and ignoring everything else that has happened, and wanted to threaten Voldemort as revenge. Colin smiled slightly at the cat, then offered his arm for Kil to jump up to reach his shoulders.

'_Let's go.' _Colin sent, before they both disappeared in a rush of wind and golden light.

* * *

They appeared at the school,'s doors, just after Snape and Malfoy ran past. Kil jumped down from Colin's shoulders and ran off, as Colin nodded at Snape as they locked eye contact. Colin stood in the doorway and watched as an intense fight was unfolding, as teacher and students fought and battled the Death Eaters.

He shoved his magic out and knocked them all over, just as one was about to attack Harry. Harry didn't waste time, running out after Snape, as Colin remained, blocking spells and protecting the people fighting. Ginny and Hermione were working together, covering McGonagall's back as they fought the Death Eaters. Colin watched as Neville ran past, ducking spells and sending some of his own back, surprisingly hitting their targets. He tripped over a suit of armour, just as Greyback, the werewolf descended on him, and he used the sword that had been lying on the ground by turning on the floor, sword out above him and hitting the werewolf with the flat side, instead of the sharp, and sending him flying to the side, where Bill Weasley then began dueling him. Colin helped Neville up, and the boy frowned at him, confused as to who he was, but accepted the old man as a friend, when Colin sent a spell after a Death Eater that had tried to stun them.

They soon drove the Death Eaters out of the castle and they disapparated when they were out of the grounds. The ones that were unconscious were bound and kept watch as people began cleaning up, and the injured were taken to the hospital wing.

Colin turned to leave out the door, to avoid questions, but Neville stopped him.

"Who are you?"

"Nobody boy, go help your friends and leave me alone." Colin growled.

"Who are you, you came and helped fight, you can't have just been passing through as we are in the school." Neville persisted.

Colin rolled his eyes and growled, "**slæpan**."

Neville's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed to the ground, fast asleep.

Colin then turned and hobbled out into the forest.

* * *

After Dumbeldore's funeral, and his conversation with Harry, Colin left the school again, before the holidays were officially started, and began searching for R.A.B, determined to find out if that horcrux was destroyed or not before he went back to school.

As he left, he paused by Dumbledore's grave and stared down at it.

'_In a world where he was fighting to defend his school and those he cared for from an evil force, he got to chose who he left the world. And it is only because of him that we will be able to stop Voldemort at all.'_ Colin told Kil who was next to him.

'_And?'_

'_So many people have died so far, because of Voldemort.'_ Colin replied. '_I refuse to let this school and it's students be even more victims.'_

**TBC**


End file.
